Abstract
The mining of cannel coal was a small, but prestigious, component of the coal production of Kentucky in the 1800's and early 1900's. Cannel coal was retorted into liquid fuel, gasified as an enricher of municipal gas supplies, and distilled as a feedstock for the production of chemicals. Each peak in usage was subsequently tempered by a discovery of cheaper sources of liquid hydrocarbons.
Four mining areas in Kentucky, three in eastern Kentucky and one in western Kentucky, will be discussed. The Breckenridge deposit in western Kentucky was developed as early as 1837 and came to prominence in the 1850's and, to a lesser extent, in the 1880's. The Johnson County deposits were developed in the 1880's and continued in production through the 1920's. The Bell County cannels were developed in the 1890's. Although highly praised for their quality, they had a brief mining history because of the limited extent of the reserves. The most prolific cannel field, Morgan County, was opened in 1901 and continued to be a large producer, albeit with some low-production years, through the 1950's, with minor production as late as 1987.
The production of cannel, as with any mineral commodity, was at the mercy of market demands and available transportation. Cannel coal, more than banded bituminous coal, occurs in relatively limited areas, leading to the rapid exhaustion of commercial deposits as well as failed attempts to develop deposits that did not attain commercial size.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ashley, G.H., 1918, Cannel coal in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 659, 127 p.
Baskerville, C., 1909, Economic possibilities of American oil shales: Engineering and Mining Journal, v. 88, p. 151–153.
Blauvelt, W.H., 1912, The manufacture of coke: American Institute of Mining Engineers Transactions, v. 71, p. 1159–1175.
Cardott, B.J., 1988, Coal, an architect's choice: Oklahoma Geology Notes, v. 48, no. 4, p. 159–171.
Caudill, H.M., 1983, Theirs be the power—The moguls of eastern Kentucky: Urbana, University of Illinois Press, 189 p.
Chapman, M.L., 1945, The influence of coal in the Big Sandy Valley: Lexington, The University of Kentucky, Ph.D. dissertation, 297 p.
Crandall, A.R., 1910, Coals of the Licking River region: Kentucky Geological Survey, Bulletin 10.
Day, J.F., 1941, Bloody ground (1981 reprint): Lexington, University Press of Kentucky, 328 p.
Eller, R.D., 1982, Miners, millhands, and mountaineers: Industrialization of the Appalachian South, 1880–1930: Knoxville, University of Tennessee Press, 272 p.
Gaventa, J., 1980, Power and powerlessness-Quiescence and rebellion in an Appalachian valley: Urbana, The University of Illinois Press, 267 p.
Giardina, D., 1987, Storming heaven: New York, W.W. Norton, 312 p.
Halse, G.W., 1927, Oil and retortable materials: London, Charles Griffin and Company, 146 p.
Keystone Coal Catalog, 1922: Consolidated Publishing Company.
Macfarlane, G., 1890, Notes on American cannel coal: American Institute of Mining Engineers Transactions, v. 18, p. 436–438.
Miller, D.L., and Sharpless, R.E., 1985, The kingdom of coal—work, enterprise, and ethnic communities in the mine fields: Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 360 p.
Norwood, C.J., 1878, A report of reconnaissance of a part of the Breckinridge cannel coal district: Kentucky Geological Survey, ser 2, v. 4, p. 339–364.
Norwood, C.J., 1887, Fourth annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky: Frankfort, Ky.
Norwood, C.J. 1888, Fifth annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky: Frankfort, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1889, Sixth annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky: Frankfort, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1890, Seventh annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky: Frankfort, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1891, Eighth annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky: Frankfort, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1892, Ninth annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky: Frankfort, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1911, Annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1909: Lexington, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1912, Annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1910: Lexington, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1913, Annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1911: Lexington, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1914, Annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1912: Lexington, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1915, Annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1913: Lexington, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., and Grider, W.U., 1894, Tenth annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1893: Frankfort, Ky.
Norwood, C.J. 1895, Eleventh annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1894: Frankfort, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1896, The annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1895: Louisville, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1897, The annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1896: Louisville, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., and Spillman, A.G., 1903, Annual reports of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for 1901 and 1902: Lexington, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., 1905, Annual reports of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for 1903 and 1904: Lexington, Ky.
Norwood, C.J., Spillman, A.G., Cain, J.D., and Doss, A.J., 1907, Annual reports of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for 1905 and 1906: Louisville, Ky.
Owen, E.W., 1975, Trek of the oil finders—A history of exploration for petroleum: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 6, 1647 p.
Sable, E.G., 1978, Geologic map of the Cannel City quadrangle, eastern Kentucky: U.S. Geological Survey, Map GQ-1498, scale 1∶24,000.
Scalf, H.P., 1972, Kentucky's last frontier: Pikeville, Pikeville College Press, 565 p.
Shifflett, C.A., 1991, Coal towns: Life, work, and culture in company towns of southern Appalachia, 1880–1960: Knoxville, University of Tennessee Press, 259 p.
Stone, G.W., and Logan, C.W., 1898, The annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1897: Luuisville, Ky.
Stone, G.W., 1899, The annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1898: Louisville, Ky.
Stone, G.W., 1900, The annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1899: Louisville, Ky.
Stone, G.W., 1901, The annual report of the inspector of mines of the State of Kentucky for the year 1900: Louisville, Ky.
Trimble, D., 1837, Report of the committee on the coal trade and iron interests of Kentucky: private report cited in Ashley (1918).
Turner, C.C., and Traum, C.H., 1983, John C.C. Mayo-Cumberland capitalist: Pikeville, Pikeville College Press, 165 p.
Yergin, D., 1991, The prize—The epic quest for oil, money, and power: New York, Simon & Schuster, 885 p.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hower, J.C. Uncertain and treacherous: The cannel coal industry in Kentucky. Nat Resour Res 4, 310–324 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02263379
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02263379