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Justus Collins [1857-1934] was an entrepreneur who opened his first coal mine in the Pocahontas- Flat Top coal field of Southern West Virginia, and thereafter operated mines in the New River, Tug River, and Winding Gulf coal fields. He headed a coal sales agency, speculated in coal and timber lands, headed a cement company, and was interested financially in rubber, oil, and gas companies. He played an important role in organizing the Tug River Coal Operators Association, the Winding Gulf Operators' Association, and the Smokeless Coal Operators Association of West Virginia.

Five unpublished manuscripts relating to coal mining, miners, and unions, in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
(1) Tom Myerscough, Bloody Hell in Kentucky, circa 1932, a fictionalized account of the National Miners Union strike in Harlan County, Kentucky, in 1931. Myerscough became an organizer and then president of the National Miners Union.
(2) Adam Getto, Autobiography, 1975, an autobiography of his experiences as a union section leader at Bethlehem Steel's Ellsworth Mine in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania.
(3) Miriam Schultz, Bread Upon the Waters, circa 1970, a novel about coal miners in western Pennsylvania.
(4) Miriam Schultz, "Larry Corcoran," circa 1970, a short story about a coal miner in western Pennsylvania.
(5) Tony Sabo, Stripped Naked in Public, circa 1971, an autobiographical account about his life in coal towns in northern West Virginia and his work in the Welfare Rights Organization.
Microfilm contains copies of Autobiography, Stripped Naked in Public, and "Larry Corcoran."

Records of the Progressive Mine Workers of America.

The company owned coal lands in the Cabin Creek district of West Virginia. The collection includes deeds, contracts, maps, and engineering reports, with mention of the Winifrede Collieries Co., Wet Branch Mining Co., Chelyan Coal & Land Co., Standard Ore and Alloys Corporation, and Charleston Interurban Railroad Company.

Production statistics and extracts from the historical files of the Smokeless Operators Association (until 1958 the Pocahontas Operators Association) showing the history of coal mining in the Pocahontas field and production, sales, and distribution statistics for the years 1930 and 1933-1961. There are weekly, monthly, and yearly reports on net tons produced, hours, worked, and tonnage lost because of labor problems, mine disability, or lack of market. There are lists of the coal companies operating in the Pocahontas district during these years. Some files include reports on net production by grade.

This collection consists of correspondence, reports, financial records, pamphlets, maps, photographs, clippings, and other papers of a coal company operating in southern West Virginia. Subjects include operators' associations, wages, prices, mine inspection reports, sales, strip mining, and freight rates. Other firms mentioned include the Winding Gulf Collieries, Charleston Coal Co., Piney Coking Coal Land Co., Juliette Coal Co., LaMar Colliery Co., Phelps Coal Co., George Creek Coal Co., Guyan Eagle Coal Co., Johnstown Coal & Coke Co., Fourseam Coal Corp., Carbon Fuel Co., Cannelton Coal & Coke Co., Redyard Coal Co., Race Fork Coal Co., Crystal Block Coal & Coke Co., Williams Coal Co., and the Spruce River Coal Co.