Pittsburg Kansas Coal Mining history and coal branch lines??

[daveklepper]

Thanks.  Glad to know that loss of mining has, at least in part, been compensated by agricultural prosperity.

[samfp1943]

daveklepper

What is the economy and population of the area now, and what railroads remaini?

 

 

  Dave Kepper;     If you will permit me a somewhat personally subjective response to your question. 

                    The area of Southeast Kansas roughly comprises an approximate area of about 9 counties (Kansas has a total of 108 counties.). 

         Currently, the whole area could be considered to be agricultural, in make-up ( Live stock production, 'ranching';  land tillage is hampered, somewhat, by a light soil, over a rocky subsoil. where row cropping is practiced; various grains, corn, and a growing, and cotton crops  are gaining share of producing lands.

      Coal mining has almost completely disappeared, as have the areas of Lead and Zinc mining.  Other mineral production is limited; Sand is moved in from the Wichita area, and Oklahoma.    Limestone(?) rock is mined to refine, and produce cement. Crushed rock at a number of quaries in the area. 

Some manufacturing plantsd are scattered about the area; The current major railroads in the area are the UPRR (operates over the former MKT RR lines south of Kansasd City.     The KCS RR operates south from KansasCity via a large yard and facility at Pittsburg,Ks. and South into Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.        The BNSF operates in a pattern of lines (southeast,south, and southwest) from major yards and terminal in Kansas City area) 

From Pittsburg, Ks.The Watco Companies operate many former lines of major railroads that have been sold off, partially abandoned, or salvaged.  

See linked @    https://www.watcocompanies.com/

It was started in late 1980's and currently comprises about 43 railroads in the USA and also Western Australia by an individual, Dick Webb.  It is currently the largest shortlline operator in the U.S.  AS I stated the above observations are purely, subjective. 

 

[daveklepper]

What is the economy and population of the area now, and what railroads remaini?

[samfp1943]

mudchicken

Well documented in the ATSF (South Kansas Division), MoP and SLSF corporate histories....Then wander over to Joplin and see a different type of mining/industrial activity.(Adding MKT to the mix) Busy places 100 years ago. All those towns shrunk in the 80's and are slowly coming back.

Assume "Big Ben" is still there.

  Make that  " BIG BRUTUS" and you are correct..near West Mineral, Ks.

SEE LINK @   http://www.kansastravel.org/bigbrutus.htm

[One could get a 'TWOfer' at nearby Scammon,Ks with a visit to Hearl of the Heartland RR Museum @ Carona, Ks.]

  See @ http://www.kansastravel.org/caronamuseum.htm

That area of Southeast Kansas hosted what was known as the Weir-Pittsburg Coal Field.

  AS mentioned, the one time AT&SF Div.[Went thru several name designations] Ran from Chanute to Erie, and across to Frontenac,ks and then to Pittsburg and finally to Jopplin,Mo.   This line intersected the SE Kansas oil fields around Shaw and Erie. It[Great Western Oil Redinery] was started in 1905, and lasted into the 1930's. At one point, on the then Eastern Branch of the AT&SF. It hosted a refinery at Shaw,[ a kerosene refinery] and the Shaw Automobile factory, and at Erie,Ks. [The Great Western Oil Refinery] which was a fairly large faciity; had its own railyard of approx 6 tracks, and had a fleet of, over 100 tank, and boxcars for its product distribution. There were also Coal mines around Frontenac,Ks that provided locomotive coal.  That line also had daily locals (E &W), and was also  serviced by one of the first 'DoodleBugs' on the AT&SF [McKeen Car 103], which ran from Pittsburg via Chanute, and on to Topeka, Ks. 

The Weir-Pittsburg Coal Field was not a solid vein, its coal was contained in a random pattern of 'pockets'; it required shallow mining techniques to recover it.  As Mudchicken mentioned there were a number of railroads that laced the area,

The MoP came into Pittsburg (via Cherokee,Ks.) from a SW direction.

The MKT RR was originally the Union Pacific Railroad, Southern Br. ; it utilized Parsons, Ks. as a division point. It  ran a line thru the W-P Coal Field area (via Columbus,Ks area) to tap the 'low grade' coal;,for its locomotives. 

The SL-SF operated a, more or less, E-W line from the Mo-KS Statelines via Parsons to Chanute area. This line went West off of the Missouri River, Ft, Scott and Gulf RR.

In the easrly 20th Century, Chanute was a major Division point on the AT&SF, hosting 5 Divisions radiating out from there. Akso hosting a thru line of the UPRR, Southern Br. via Chanute and Shaw into Parsons. 

In the period of the 1880's to 1890 Arthur Stillwell started the Kansas City, Pittsburg, and Gulf RR (shortest route btwn KC, Shreveport and Gulf).. See Port Arthur,Tx..   Pittsburg,Ks. area around the early 20th Century was also a major source for Lead and Zinc Smelting. Having an excess of 20+ lead and zinc smelters that utilized the area's supply of Natural Gas for their smelting ops.  

Not to mention, that the Pittsburg,Ks. area, in that same time frame, was the center for some Interurban and trolley operatons on a local system that, at one point comprised a network of approx 110 miles throughout the area.    It rerached Columbus, Kansas and Joplin,Mo. was connecting with the lines of the K.O.&G. RR System, out of Oklahoma.

To the West the first N-S rail line [L,L&G RR] was laid in an attempt to get land grants in the Indian Territory. THe Cherokee Neutral Lands were purchased by James Joy for approx $6.50 per acre (3Mil + Acres). His line Known as (The Joy Line) built south was known as the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston RR. ( approx 161 mi to Okla. lne )  It got some locomotive coal from a branch line to the southeast from the area of Thayer,Ks.

Of further note: Between approx 1867 and 1870 there were approx 1283 mi. 

Here is a link @ http://www.legendsofkansas.com/railroads5.html

Further note:  "... The majority of this historic text was published in Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Volume I; edited by Frank W. Blackmar,  A.M. Ph. D.; Standard Publishing Company, Chicago, IL 1912. However, the text that appears on these page is not verbatim, as additions, updates, and editing have occurred...."

 

 

[mudchicken]

Well documented in the ATSF (South Kansas Division), MoP and SLSF corporate histories....Then wander over to Joplin and see a different type of mining/industrial activity.(Adding MKT to the mix) Busy places 100 years ago. All those towns shrunk in the 80's and are slowly coming back.

Assume "Big Ben" is still there.

[divebardave]

Was just there and surprised about the comparisons between the Pittsburg KS and Pittsburgh PA which were both built by immigrant coal miners from Eastern Europe.