Bartley, West Virginia

Bartley is an unincorperated community located in the southern part of McDowell County in West Virginia.  It lies along the Norfolk and Western Railroad on the Dry Fork which is a tributary of the Tug Fork River.   Bartley is located approximately 18 miles from Welch and 5 miles from the Virginia border.  Bartley was also known as Barlett and Peeryville.

At the present time Bartleys population is 0.  However, as recently as 2000, Bartley had a population of 506 people.  Approximately 97% of them were caucasion and 3% were Africian American. In the 1930's and 1940's several thousand people lived and worked in Bartley.  Bartley had its own elementay school and its own junior high.  During this time Bartley even had a baseball team sponsored by the Pond Creek Pocahontas Coal Company. 

The Pond Creek Pocahontas Coal Company was the major employer in the Bartley area.  It is now an affiliate of the Island Creek Coal Company.  Indirectly the Pond Creek Pocahontas Coal Company is the reason I chose Bartley.  The photos below show the front and back of a Pond Creek Pocahontas Coal Company store token.  The actual coin is just a little smaller than a quarter and was worth 25 cents at the company store,  I did some checking online and found out that the coal company operated the mines at Bartley. 



Back of token

 


Front of token



The Pond Creek No.1 mine was one of 3 mines that the Pond Creek Pocahontas Coal Co. operated at  Bartlley It was a deep shaft mine over 600 feet deep with corrideors fanning out from the main shaft at various depths.  It operated in the Pocahontas No.4 coal seam.The Pocahontas No. 4 coal seam is a part of the Pocahontas Coal Field. It is also known as the Flat-Top Pocahontas Coalfield. In addition to the No. 4 seam there also Pocahontas No. 3, No. 6, and No. 11 seams. This is some of the best coal in the world and is rated at 15000 BTU/lb.  The photos below were taken inside and around the tipple of  the Pond Creek No.1 mine at Bartley.

Miners working inside Pond Creek No. 1 mine



Inside of Pond Creek No. 1 mine at Bartley



Pond Creek No.1 Tipple 1936

Pond Creek No. 1 Tipple 2001

On January 10, 1940 at 2:30pm there was an explosion at the Pond Creek No. 1 mine killing 91 men.  The west side of the mine was unaffected and 37 men escaped with out any injuries. Mine officials were holding a safety meeting when the explosion occurred and were able to organize a rescue effort fairly quickly. Seven hours after the 1st explosion, a 2nd explosion occurred hampering rescue efforts. Many of the 91 men who died were killed instantly.  Some survived long enough to write notes to their families. Immediately after the explosion families gathered to wait for news of their loved ones. Rescue teams worked 5 days to retreive the bodies.  An investigation revealed that methane gas was the cause of the explosion.  The UMWA errected a memorial to honor the dead miners. At the time this was one of the worst mine disasters in West Virginia's history.

Waiting for news Jan 10, 1940

LEOMINSTER DAILY ENTERPRISE, Massachusetts, January 11 and 12, 1940

Memorial for Bartley miners