This image is the cover for the book Walker County Coal Mines, Images of America

Walker County Coal Mines, Images of America

The discovery of black rocks that glow along Lost Creek transformed Walker County. Settlers began to open wagon mines and ship coal in barges along the Warrior River. The railroad soon followed, which brought in corporations and big mining camps. Every town is littered with stories, from Dora's Uniontown to the union wars in Carbon Hill to the Gorgas mining experiment. Oakman's Corona camp housed the county's very first hospital, while Sipsey and Empire had a Harvard-educated teacher. Progress was made, largely due to coal. In Images of America: Walker County Coal Mines, readers will learn about the people and the industry that makes Walker County special.

Iris Singleton McAvoy

Writer and Walker County native Iris Singleton McAvoy has a unique take on the history of Walker County. Coal is intertwined with her family history, making the stories of mining in Walker County dear to her heart. Through images contributed by Horace DeFore, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Alabama Department of Archives, and countless Walker County natives, she re-creates scenes from mines and mining camps that have long disappeared. She hopes this book honors the hard-working miners who have sacrificed to make this county great.

Arcadia Publishing