Indiana Coal Country: County Histories of Indiana's Coal Mines

A large sheet-metal coal tipple building with many small windows, power poles and wires in front, a big gear and machinery in the foreground, and parked cars at the bottom. — The tipple of the Chinook Mine at Staunton, Clay County, Indiana, photographed in 1946 for the federal Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry.Department of the Interior. Solid Fuels Administration for War (Medical Survey of the Bituminous Coal Industry). National Archives (via Wikimedia Commons). Source record. Public domain.

These 4 pages tell the story of Indiana coal mining county by county, written only from the old county histories, with every source cited.

The counties

Coal Mining in Knox and Daviess Counties, Ind.: Cannelburg, BicknellCoal in Knox and Daviess counties, Indiana, from the 1886 and 1915 histories: Washington's 1857 find, Cannelburg cannel coal, Montgomery and Edwardsport.From the 1886 and 1915 county histories Coal Mining in Sullivan County, Indiana: Shelburn, Hymera, DuggerHow coal built Shelburn, Hymera, Dugger and Farmersburg in Sullivan County, Indiana, from the first 1855 mine to the 1906 strike, per the 1909 history.From the 1909 county history Coal Mining in Vermillion County, Indiana: Clinton and GenevaVermillion County, Indiana coal and iron in the 1888 county history: the Indiana Furnace, the Norton Creek Coal Mines and the company village of Geneva.From the 1888 county history

Coal Mining in Vigo County, Indiana: Seelyville, Fontanet, Coal BluffVigo County, Indiana coal mining from the 1908 Greater Terre Haute history: veins, Coal Bluff Mining Co., Seelyville, Fontanet, Burnett, miners.From the 1908 and 1908 county histories

Coal country in the other Midwest states →

Tracing a coal-mining ancestor in Indiana

Federal census. From 1850 on, the census lists each man's occupation. Look for "coal miner" or "miner," the township, and his birthplace and his parents' birthplaces, which often point to another coal region or another country.
Death records and cemeteries. Search our Indiana database by surname. Many coal camps had their own cemeteries, which outlived the towns.
Mine inspectors' reports. State mine inspectors published regular reports on the mines in their districts, including accidents.
The county histories. Each page here links the books it was written from. Their biographical sections name operators, superintendents, and miners, with parents, spouses, and where the family came from.
Newspapers. Local papers carried mine openings, strikes, accidents, and obituaries. Chronicling America, from the Library of Congress, is free to search.

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Frequently asked questions

Where were Indiana's coal mines?

The pages here cover Daviess, Knox, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo counties, as the old county histories describe them. Each page names the mines, companies and camps its books record.

How do I find out if my ancestor was a coal miner in Indiana?

Start with the census: from 1850 on it lists occupation, so look for 'coal miner' or 'miner' and note the township. Then read the county history for that county and look for the state mine inspectors' reports.

Are these pages based on real sources?

Yes. Each county page is written only from public-domain county histories, names the books, and links to the full text on the Internet Archive.

Photographs on this page are in the public domain. About the images and their sources.