These pictures were all taken towards the end of 1945 in Bell County Kentucky. They show a brief view of life in a Coal Camp. There were literally hundreds of camps just like these spread out through out the Kentucky Highlands. Life was hard, short and difficult for the families that retrieved millions of dollars worth of coal from the mountains. Unfortunately, for the families of the miners and for the region as a whole, the profits went to interests outside the region. Large mining concerns stole the coal from the hills and gave almost nothing in return.

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Railroads were a main way to get around in the coal camps.

One room school house.

This home is typical of the miner’s homes of the era.

A miner’s home. This one is better than most with its “newspaper” wallpaper.

A coal miner comes home from a hard day’s work.

Children washing their hands at Four Mile in Bell County, Kentucky.

Mr. and Mrs. John Whitehead with their children and grandchildren. December 1945.

A miner’s camp in Bell County Kentucky after fifty years of neglect.

A new miner’s camp in Bell County Kentucky from the turn of the 20th Century.

For those wanting to see what a came would have looked like, visit the Barthell Mining Camp. The recreated camp is located just 7 miles west of Stearns, Kentucky off of Highway 742. The camp has variety of exhibits and offers a coal mine tour that will take you 300 feet into the mountain.

For those looking for more information about Kentucky Coal Camps, the Coal Education website is probably the best around.

Tags: Bell County, Coal Mining