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National Coal Miners Museum at Lake City (Coal Creek), TN

Submitted by Mona Everett, with permission of the Coal Creek website and Ninnau (previously printed in Ninnau )

A proposed National Coal Miners Museum to be located on a site in downtown Lake City (Coal Creek), Tennessee, convenient to Interstate 75, will celebrate the regions dramatic coal mining heritage through unique interactive
experiences.

The museum will tell the story of the Coal Creek Wars of 1891-92, which led to the abolition of the convict leasing system through out the South. It will also relate the heroism and courage of the miners and rescuers
associated with the Fraterville Mine Disaster of 1902 and the Cross Mountain
Mine Disaster of 1911. The Welsh educational and religious influence and
Appalachian artifacts will join to tell the story of a strong willed and
resourceful people, according to the museum mission statement, crafted by the
designers.

Why Coal Creek?

This East Tennessee area was settled by immigrant Welsh coal miners in the mid-1800s. They provided the coal that helped rebuild Knoxville and surrounding areas after the Civil War.

The Coal Creek War was fought in 1891-1892 and was credited with abolishing the corrupt convict lease system throughout the southern states.

The Fraterville Mine Disaster of May 19, 1902 killed 216. Disasters like Fraterville raised public awareness about the dangers of early 20th century
coal mining and led to the creation of the U.S. Bureau of Mines and safer
mining conditions in mines across the country.

The Cross Mountain Mine Disaster of December 9, 1911 was one of the first successful rescue operations led by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, even though only
five of the eighty-nine men and boys trapped in the mine were rescued by
engineers and apparatus crews and eighty-four perished, this was a success at
the time.

The Plans

The proposed size of the museum is between 25,000 and 40,000 square feet, and is dependent on fundraising. The museum will serve the community as a whole and will be used as a cultural center, hosting traveling
exhibits, dances, a market space, and educational events.

The layout of the museum will provide visitors with a valuable experience, including:

Labor and Coal Mining education--An 1890s era coal mining experience

A visit into the town of Coal Creek, Tennessee in the late 1800s

The Coal Creek War and labor disputes and the convict lease system

The Fraterville and Cross Mountain Mine Disasters -- Experience the disasters

The Science of coal mining today -- This hands-on and interactive, more like a discovery museum. The focus will be on science and how coal is obtained and how it is used today. Many people may not know that over
half of the country's energy still comes from coal.

Of the top 50 spots for tourism in Tennessee, 22 of them are in East Tennessee. The museum would most likely attract an average of 180,000 visitors a year

To celebrate this mining history and preserve it for educating future generations, Mayor Buck Wilson of Lake City (formerly the town of Coal Creek),
Tennessee is working with many others to build the Coal Miners' Museum of Coal
Creek and connect it to the many historic sites found
throughout the watershed.

Fund raising is underway for the project, which is expected to cost between $12 to 20 million, depending on the finished design. A completion date for the museum has not yet bee announced. Tax-deductible donations may be sent to:

Mayor Buck Wilson

P.O. Box 66

Lake City, TN 37769USA

To read more about the Welsh settlers of Coal Creek, the history of coal mining in the area, or to learn more about the Museum and to see artist renderings, go to http://www.coalcreekaml.com/ .