Valley Coal Mine #1 - Ingham, Vinton County, Ohio
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Crystal Sound
N 39° 18.892 W 082° 18.275
17S E 387534 N 4352529
Ingham Mine, near the ghost town of Ingham Station (Ingham, Ingham's Station) in Vinton County, Ohio.
Waymark Code: WM1FXY
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 04/30/2007
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member KG1960
Views: 180

Nearby the ghost town of Ingham's Station, is the Ingham Mine. Although it is rarely visited, due to the mile (+) hike to the site, most people confuse the tunnel that went through a hill, with the actual mine, which is in the next valley.

I have done extensive research on the town, with the help of several others, we have identified and/or located a long list of items from the town.

See waymark for Ingham Station, Ghost Town for more information:
(visit link)

Old Code: VN-017
Mine API# 341638001702
Commodity - Coal
Mine Type - Underground
Formation - Middle Kittanning No. 6
Abandoned Date - 1909
Drainage - Above

It seems the mine was opened in the 1870s, and was worked until around 1909.

From an Ohio Inspector of Mines Report in the 1875: "King's Mine and Ingham's Mine, situate at King's Switch, one and a half miles west of Mineral City, are opened on the same seam of coal as the Carbondale mines, but only the two lower benches are worked. In King's Mine the main entry passes through two hills and into the third, the most of the working-; being in the third hill. The main entry runs north for three hundred yards, then changes westward for two hundred and eighty yards, then wheels northward again on the face of the coal.

The butt entries are eighty-five yards apart, rooms working off both sides, when the conditions are favorable. When the rooms, going either east or west, dip, they are stopped and the coal wrought to the rise on the opposite side.

Ingham's Mine is wrought on the same plan as King's, both banks being under one management. The entries are driven through the hills, and the ventilation is produced by the natural currents. When rooms are single they are made eight yards wide; when double, nine and ten yards. In the double rooms two tracks are laid down, one on each side of the pillar. Owing to the lowness of the seam worked, pushers or haulers take the empty cars into the rooms, from the main roads, and push out the full ones. In Ingham's the pushers haul out to day."

Mine Inspectors Reports from 1882-1889 states that the mine was operated by Patrick McDermott, John McDermott is the mine boss. (A large boulder off King's Hollow Road bears the inscriptions: "J McDermott November 25, 1880 " On the opposite side of the boulder, about 12 feet above ground level I read several other chiselings: " mapel 21 1881 John McDermott LB ". See archived geocache GCN9JT.

An 1889 Mine Inspectors Report states that the mine is Owned and Operated by Patrick McDermott & Son. On June 20 the mine changed hands and was operated by Nelson, Richmond, & Co. with N. Richmond as superintendent. They improved the mine by building a new tip-house and ditching water out of the mine. The mine is in the No. 6 seam, and is 2.5-3 feet thick. The mine employed 14 miners and 4 day men.

A 1900 Ohio Geological Chief Mine Inspector's report states that the mine is operated by the Ingham Coal Co. John Higgins, Superintendent. Harley Turner, Mine Boss. "#6 coal seam" 34" thick. Single entry, positive pressure ventilation. 11 miners and 3 day hands. The mine is reported to have changed to a new firm, and a new opening was being made, as well as previous workings were being abandoned.

A 1908 / 1909 Mine survey map, shows that this was the Valley Coal Co. (of Dayton, Ohio) Mine #1. Many other details of this map, including mine boss names are on this map, but are nearly impossible to read due to scan quality.
Mine Type: Abandoned Mine

Mineral Collecting: Yes

Material Mined: Coal, Lignite

Operation: Underground Mine

Surface Features: Yes

KNOWN DANGERS:
An airshaft or cave-in was found near the entrance. There is another air-shaft reported north of the entrance.


Any Other information:
See nearby waymark for Ingham Station


Any associated website: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Optional photograph welcomed.
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