Preston County Coke Company opened the Cascade coal mine, coke works, and company town in 1907. Mining was in the Upper Freeport coal seam. Coal production in the
Cascade mines ended in the 1950s. 1961 was the last year in WV mining records that any coal production is listed for any of Preston County Coke's other coal mines (Hawley, Bull Run, Murphy). I assume that the coke
ovens were kept burning by brining in coal from other mines.
The coal camp and coke works at Cascade, Preston County, WV were one of the last beehive coke oven plants
operating in America. When many of the following photographs were taken in 1973, all of the beehive coke ovens in Pennsylvania had
been shut down for one year. (Well, maybe except for an experimental type of coke ovens at Alverton, PA that weren't really true
beehives.) It's probably a coincidence that the last beehive coke works in America was just up the creek from Cascade at
Bretz, WV.
1973 image by W.E. Barrett, courtesy of HABS/HAER, Library of Congress
Preston Coal and Coke Company's still burning coke ovens at Cascade as
they looked in November 1973.
1973 image by W.E. Barrett, courtesy of HABS/HAER, Library of Congress
The Cascade coal camp has
also been demolished since this photograph was taken in 1973.
1973 image by W.E. Barrett, courtesy of HABS/HAER, Library of Congress
Another vintage view of the
Cascade coal camp. Preston Coal & Coke demolished their company houses in 1978.
1973 image by W.E. Barrett, courtesy of HABS/HAER, Library of Congress
The coke
yard and rail siding along Deckers Creek. In the center of the picture can be seen a coke oven extracting machine.
1973 image by W.E. Barrett, courtesy of HABS/HAER, Library of Congress
This was the power plant that was located
at Cascade. The smokestack was torn down in 1976.
1976 WV SHPO image
The Cascade coke ovens still burning in 1976. Not long after this, they went cold for good.
Google Street View image
These remaining buildings at Cascade may have been part of the electricity generating plant.
Google Street View image
When driving through Cascade, WV today
one would never imagine that it was the site of a coal mine, coke works, and company town.
