Aug 20, 2016 5 min read

CARMICHAELS – There is no denying the significance of the coal industry in the development of the communities in eastern Greene County.

Immigrants from eastern European countries poured into the area in the early 1900s to work in the mines that sprouted along the banks of the Monongahela River. Many settled in company towns such as Crucible, Nemacolin and Bobtown.

The industry has always had its ups and downs and during one of its downturns in the early 1950s, when miners were losing jobs by the hundreds partly as a result of the mechanization of the industry, a few men got together and decided to plan a festival.

Paul Smith, Ross Allison, Stanley Allison and Ellis “Parker” Burnette thought a festival was in order, not only to celebrate the industry which had become so important to the area’s economy but also to give the community a little boost.

The first Pennsylvania Bituminous Coal Show was held in Carmichaels in October 1954. Sixty-three years later, the King Coal Show continues.

The weeklong event, which began Saturday and continues through the end of the week, will include the coal queen pageant, mining exhibits, carnival rides, the pet parade, the bicycle parade, musical entertainment, a car show and the annual King Coal Parade.

This year, for the first time at the coal show, the Eastern Mining Collectors Association will also hold a collectors’ show from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday in the Carmichaels Fire Hall. So far, 35 collectors have signed up to show, trade, sell and swap historic mining artifacts.

The theme for this year’s coal show is “King Coal Salutes Our Miners.”

“Our thoughts were to salute the people who helped establish the industry; we’re talking about our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers,” said Mike Riggen, president of the King Coal Association, which organizes the event.

“If it hadn’t been for the coal industry, a lot of people would not have come to this area back in the 1920s and 30s,” he said.

Times were tough when the first coal show was organized. Many of the mines were working only two or three days a week, Riggen said. Today, the coal industry also is in a severe slump.

“The industry was hurting back in the 50s, and it’s hurting again,” Riggen said.

He said he knows several people who lost jobs when the Emerald Mine closed in November. Riggen only hopes there will be a rebound and believes coal will have a future as the need grows for a reliable source of fuel to power the electric grid.

Just as at the time of the coal show’s inception back in 1954, this year the coal show will once again celebrate the industry so important to the area and maybe even help lift the spirits of the people who live here.

“We’re looking at the past and hoping the future will improve,” Riggen said.

The coal show, which began Saturday with a golf outing and 5K race, will continue today with the annual coal queen pageant. The pageant will be held at 7 p.m. in the Carmichaels High School Auditorium and this year features candidates representing nine school districts.

No events are scheduled for Monday, but Tuesday’s events will begin when carnival rides open on the grounds of the Carmichaels Fire Hall. Music will be provided by DJ Dave Plavi.

Carnival rides will operate from 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and have extended hours Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. They will again be provided by Thomas Family Amusements.

Mining exhibits will be on display inside the fire hall from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

This year, the exhibits will include a collection of historic artifacts from the family of John “Roof Tar” McCann as well as a model of an old coal mining town, based on the town of Marianna, created by Joe Glad of Marianna.

Food, baked goods and coal souvenirs also will be available at the fire hall throughout the week. Voting for the coal show baby contest also will be at the fire hall.

The annual children’s pet parade will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Carmichaels. The line-up will be at 5:30 p.m. in the Yoskovich Funeral Home parking lot.

The bicycle parade and children’s mini-vehicle parade will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday with the line-up also starting at 5:30 p.m. in the funeral home parking lot.

Those who wish to participate in the parade can ride bikes or push wheel barrels, pull children’s wagons or ride battery operated child vehicles. No gas-powered dirt bikes or ATVs are permitted.

Classic Memories also will give a free performance from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday on the fire hall grounds.

Friday, the coal show will feature free music by the Timm Reeves Band on the fire hall grounds. The band will play from 7 to 10 p.m.

Several popular events are scheduled for Saturday, the last day of the show, including the Eastern Miners Collectors Show.

The Charles Workman Memorial Car Show will be held at Wana B Park from 12:30 to 3 p.m. It usually attracts more than 100 entries, Riggen said.

People will then line the streets of Carmichaels for the annual parades. The Charles Workman Memorial Car Parade will start at 3:50 p.m. and be followed at 4 p.m. by the 62nd annual King Coal Show Parade.

Wrapping up the evening will be carnival rides at the fire hall and a free performance from 7 to 10 p.m. on the fire hall grounds by the Timm Reeves Band. Fireworks are also scheduled at 9:45 p.m.