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FREEMAN & SIMMONS, WV

The Freeman and Simmons coal camps were a conglomeration of three separate coal mining operations - Booth-Bowen Coal & Coke Co., Caswell Creek Coal & Coke Co., and Buckeye Coal & Coke Co. Some of the coal was coked in nearby beehive ovens.

West Virginia Geological Survey image

Ancient photo of the Buckeye Coal & Coke Co. mine portals into the Pocahontas No. 6 coal seam.

Image courtesy of Mick Vest

Beehive coke ovens along Route 52 that were part of the Buckeye Coal & Coke operation.

Apr. 2014 image by author

It's hard to believe, but this structure was once a two- story company store operated by Booth-Bowen Coal Co. Sometime after 1999 the upper floor was removed, a gabled roof added, and it was converted into a church. There were two other company stores in the community, but they are gone now.

Apr. 2014 image by author

Company houses that may have been constructed by the Buckeye Coal & Coke Co. This company had a long, healthy run at coal mining in Freeman from 1897 until 1948.

Mar. 2005 image by author

The Bluestone River Valley running through Freeman.

Mar. 2005 image by author

The rear of the Buckeye coal camp houses. A few of the homes have had rooms added, but they were somewhat large for miners' houses to begin with.

Mar. 2005 image by author

This was the home of coal baron William H. Bowen.

Apr. 2014 image by author

This part of Freeman was the Booth-Bowen coal camp. Booth-Bowen Coal & Coke closed their last mine in the area down in 1938.

Apr. 2014 image by author

Small "shotgun" coal company houses built by Booth-Bowen Coal Co. It appears that one resident is a tire hoarder.

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