Visit Coal Creek Miners Museum for trip back in time to area's coal-mining past
On Main Street, in a former bank building, are artifacts of the town's coal-mining past when coal was king.
The town: Coal Creek, later renamed Lake City, and then renamed Rocky Top, although longtime residents still call it Lake City.
It was the town that survived two coal mine disasters in the early 1900s. The Fraterville Mine disaster occurred on May 19, 1902, and was the worst mining disaster at that time. More than 200 miners from the community died, some trapped long enough in the mine after the explosion to have penned letters to their families. As explained in a "Historically Speaking" column in The Oak Ridger earlier this year, only three adult males were alive in the Fraterville community after the 1902 disaster.
The explosion and resulting tragedy led to improvements in mining safety regulations and Congress creating the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1910.
On Dec. 9, 1911, the Cross Mountain mine in Briceville exploded. Eighty-four miners died, but 16 miners were rescued.
Coal Creek was also the site of the "Coal Creek War," when unemployed miners fought the state in using prisoners to mine coal in the 1890s. It brought about the end of the convict leasing system.
The Coal Creek Miners Museum includes information, photographs of many decades of miners, and old mining gear used in the past, as well as samples of various types of coal, petrified wood, and other interesting stories behind the mines and lesser-known accidents. Samples of scrip - the "coins" and paper money issued by the coal mining companies throughout East Tennessee - also can be seen.
For sale are books of history written by local authors, Coal Creek Miners Museum and Rocky Top shirts, as well as Christmas ornaments made of coal by a local woman.
The museum occupies the first floor of the old bank building, located across the street from the Rocky Top City Hall.
Expanding through a grant and bricks
Plans are for the museum to expand to the second floor. The museum recently received word it had won a $50,000 grant for capital maintenance and improvement from the state, administered through the Tennessee State Museum.
The grant will be used for heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) work and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant restroom repairs on the second floor of the museum, according to Stephanie Wells, Adventure Anderson County director and secretary/treasurer for the museum board.
“The funding that will be provided through this grant will give us a jump start on remodeling the second floor of the museum,” Tim Isbel, Anderson County commissioner and museum board chairman, stated in a news release. “The HVAC and an ADA-compliant restroom are a very important component in the remodeling project that will expand capacity, allowing us to display a more extensive collection of artifacts and exhibits. This, in turn, enables us to offer a more comprehensive and immersive experience for visitors.”
The museum is conducting a brick fundraiser for a memorial walk. Prices for memorial bricks range from $100 to $300. By participating in the project, individuals and organizations have the opportunity to contribute to the museum’s financial sustainability while honoring or remembering a coal miner, community member or business partner. The funds raised will be used for museum infrastructure, exhibits and educational programs and for maintaining the museum’s collection.
The museum, 201 S. Main St., is usually open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Sunday, but sometimes it is closed or has different hours, so you might want to call before you visit. The phone number is 865-630-5006 and the website is www.CoalCreekMinersMuseum.com.
The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news and is a Lake City native. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com and follow her on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @ridgernewsed.
Support The Oak Ridger by subscribing. Offers available at https://subscribe
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Coal Creek Miners Museum reflects on tragedies, coal mining past
