Kemmerer, Diamondville and Frontier were
founded by both coal and railroad interests. Coal
was first recorded in 1843 by John C. Fremont
(The Path Finder).
First to file a claim on coal land was Harrison
Church on the Hamsfork River, 1867.
The biggest companies mining coal were the
Kemmerer Coal Company, Diamondville Coal and
Coke and the Union Pacific Coal Company.
There were sereval wagon mines operating in the
area. The biggest mine disaster happened in
Frontier No. 1, August 14, 1923 killing 99 miners.
Under ground mines operated from the 1880's to
1964, Brilliant being the last to close.
The mining of today is strip mines - Elkol
Sorensen opening in 1953 presently owned and
operated by Pittsburg & Midway Coal Company
(Chevron). Skull Point 1976 owned and operated
by F.M.C. Corporation.
Special Thank You to the following:
Pittsburg & Midway Coal Company
U.M.W.A. Local 1307
Lincoln County
Louis Engstrom
