Eastern Regional Coal Archives (ERCA)
The Eastern Regional Coal Archives is Southern West Virginia's research facility, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and making available the priceless heritage of the coal fields.
Eastern Regional Coal Archives contains:
-
Artifacts
-
Blueprints
-
Company Records
-
Company Store Record Books
-
Diaries
-
Films
-
Ledgers
-
Maps
-
Miner's Tools
-
Newspapers
-
Oral History Tapes
-
Photographs
-
Railroad Memorabilia
-
Rare Books
-
Scrapbooks
-
Scrip
-
Secondary Research Materials
1983 Pocahontas Coalfield Centennial Celebration
The Eastern Regional Coal Archives is a unique example of public-private sector cooperation. The 1983 Pocahontas Coalfield Centennial Celebration collected a great quantity of historical materials. At the conclusion of the centennial, the accumulated memorabilia was deposited in the Craft Memorial Library in Bluefield, the Mercer County Service Center.
Funding for the ongoing collection of coalfield history comes from the A. R. Matthews Foundation, with support service from the public library.
The Coal Archives seeks to make public history an active force in developing the coalfield region.
Pictured: Keystone haulage underground. Image credit: © Craft Memorial Library ERCA. Image used with permission.
Please call for an appointment if you plan on visiting the archives.
If the archives can be of service to anyone interested in the coal industry and its rich and unique history, or if readers have materials which they feel ought to be preserved so that future generations can understand the mighty heritage of the coalfields, feel free to contact the library.