Coal Timeline

Blacksmiths in colonial days used small amounts of "fossil coal" or "stone coal" to supplement the charcoal normally burned in their forges. Farmers dug coal from beds exposed at the surface and sold it by the bushel. Although most of the coal for the larger cities along the eastern seaboard was imported from England and Nova Scotia, some came from Virginia. Early coal mining was a dangerous business and many miners were children (learn more on the Department of Labor’s “Little Miners” Page). Thanks to mining laws, unions, and improvements in technology, coal mines are now much safer places to work. The number and severity of mining accidents that happen today are a fraction of what they were in the late 1800’s.

	1673-1674	The first record of coal in the United States was shown on a map prepared by Louis Joliet. The map notes charbon de terra (coal of the earth) along the Illinois River in northern Illinois.
	1701	Coal was discovered near Richmond, Virginia.
	1736	The location of several "cole mines" were recorded on a map. The mines were located along the upper Potomac River, near what is now the border of Maryland and West Virginia.
	1748	The first commercial U.S. coal production began near Richmond, Virginia.
	1750s	Coal was reported in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, and what is now the state of West Virginia.
	1758	First commercial coal shipment in the U.S.
	1762	Pennsylvania’s anthracite deposits were found. Coal was used to manufacture shot, shell, and other military materials.
	1769	James Watt patented the modern day steam engine. Coal was used to produce steam for early steam engines.
	1800’s	Coal became the principal fuel used by steam powered trains (locomotives). As the railroads branched into the coal fields, they became a vital link between mines and markets. More and more households and steamboats used coal for fuel. Coal was used to produce oil and gas to be used for lighting.
	1814	Coal was burned to heat salt brines to provide a source of salt in southwestern Pennsylvania.
	1816	Baltimore, Maryland became the first city to light streets with gas made from coal.
	1830's	Coal was used to make glass in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Tom Thumb, the first commercially practical American-built steam powered train (locomotive), was manufactured. The Tom Thumb burned coal, and soon, every American locomotive that burned wood was converted to use coal.
	1848	First coal miners’ union was formed in Schuylkill County, PA.
	1866	Strip-mining (mining in strips of land) began near Danville, Illinois.  Horse-drawn plows and scrapers were used to remove the top layer of dirt or rocks so the coal could be dug and hauled away in wheelbarrows and carts.
	1869	A major mine disaster occurred in the Avondale Mine, killing 108 men and boys.
	1870	Coal began to be formed into chunks called "briquets" in the United States.
	1875	Coal coke replaced charcoal as the chief fuel for iron blast furnaces.
	1877	A steam-powered shovel excavated some 10 feet of overburden (earth covering a coal deposit) from a 3-foot- thick coal bed near Pittsburg, Kansas.
	1880's	Coal-cutting machines became available (prior to that, coal was mined underground by hand).
	1882	The first practical coal-fired electric generating station, developed by Thomas Edison, went into operation in New York City to supply electricity for household lights.
	1885	A converted wooden dredge with a 50-foot boom was used to uncover a coal bed under 35 feet of overburden (earth covering a coal deposit).
	1890	The United Mine Workers of America was formed.
	1891	Congress passed the first federal law to improve safety in mines. The law required ventilation in mines and made it illegal for companies to hire children under 12 years old to work in mines.
	1896	The Spring Valley Coal Company was the first to use 15- inch steel timber beams in 400 mine openings.
	1910	Surface mining with steam shovels specifically designed for coal mining. The U.S. Bureau of Mines was created to help reduce accidents in mines.
	1912	The first self-contained breathing apparatus for mine rescue operations was used.
	1920's	Mechanical coal-loading equipment replaced hand loading and increased productivity. Mules, horses and oxen were used to haul coal and refuse.  A few dogs were used in small mines working thin coal beds. In time, the animals were replaced by electric locomotives, dubbed "electric mules," and other haulage equipment.
	1930	Molded, protective helmets for miners were introduced.
	1937	The shuttle car was invented for use in mines.
	1940	Surface mining with auger machines was introduced.
	1950s	Most coal was used by industry. Many homes were still heated by coal. Coal was used by steam-driven trains and ships.
	1952	Congress passed the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act which increased the number of safety inspections in mines.
	1960s	First longwall mining with powered roof supports (1960). Most coal was used for generating electricity. (Today, more than 90 percent of coal is used for electricity generation.)
	1961	Coal had become the major fuel used by electric utilities in the United States to generate electricity. (It is still the leading fuel for electricity generation, today.)
	1969	Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act passed by Congress. The “Coal Act” extended safety laws to surface mines, and allowed miners with “black lung disease” to receive money for their care. More recent safety practices have made black lung disease, caused by inhaling fine coal dust, much less common than it used to be.
	1971	Surface mines replaced underground mines as the leading source of coal produced in the United States. The importance of surface mining has continued to grow since that time.
	1972	Kentucky became the leading coal production state.
	1973-1974	OPEC oil embargo focused attention on the energy crisis and resulted in an increase in demand for U.S. coal.
	1977	Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) was passed by Congress. The purpose of the Act was to reduce the environmental impact of surface mining. The Act required surface mines no longer being used to be "reclaimed" or restored to their natural state. Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 was passed by Congress. The “Mine Act” strengthened existing mining safety and health regulations and created a new agency in the U.S. Department of Labor called the Mine Safety and Health Administration that would be responsible for mine safety.
	1980	National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP) Study began.  Industries spent over $1 billion on Air Pollution Control Equipment.
	1986	Clean Coal Technology Act passed.
	1988	Wyoming displaced Kentucky as the leading coal producing state.
	1990	United States coal production topped 1 billion tons a year.
	1995	The National Mining Association was formed by merging the American Mining Congress and the National Coal Association. Burlington Resources began injecting carbon dioxide into wells in the San Juan Basin in New Mexico to recover more methane from the coal beds.
	2002	Coal mining companies reclaimed the 2 millionth acre of mined land. Surface mines that are no longer in use must be "reclaimed" or restored to their natural state.
	2003	The United States sponsored a $1 billion, 10-year demonstration project to create the world's first coal-based, zero-emissions electricity and hydrogen power plant.
	2005	Congress passed the Energy Policy Act promoting the use of coal through clean coal technologies.
	2006	Coal production set a record high with 1.16 billion short tons. Wyoming continued to dominate coal production in the United States. Congress passes the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006. The Act aimed to enhance mine safety training, improve safety and communications technology for miners, and provide more emergency supplies of breathable air.

Last Revised: September 2007
Sources: National Energy Education Development Project, Intermediate Energy Infobook, 2005-2006
U.S. Department of Labor, History of Mine Safety And Legislation, September 2007.