Black Diamond, Washington
by Katie Hanzeli
“If it wasn’t for coal, there never would have been a Black Diamond, Washington.”1
Even before coal became king, there were homesteaders nearby, who had to go to Seattle via Covington to get supplies. Everything else they grew themselves, including tobacco.2 They had been settled in the area since the early 1870’s.
Welsh, Italians, Slovenians, British and other nationalities flocked to the area to make their fortune. They came, sent home for their families and settled in. Along with the miners came the grocers, postmasters, doctors and dentists, blacksmiths and other tradesman that were needed in any community.
In 1882, a town was born.
As with any place, people are born, live, die and are buried. The first couple to be married in Black Diamond was David and Elizabeth Watkins, who tied the knot on 14 August 1886. Citizens worked, participated in social events, joined groups like the “Slovenian Progressive Benefit Society,” attended Mass at St. Barbara’s3 and Holy Rosary Catholic Churches and held other services at the local Presbyterian Church and elsewhere, and in general went about their lives.
In addition to day to day living, there were the periodic mine disasters, explosions and tunnel collapses. One explosion occurred on 26 April 1907, on the Morgan Slope of Mine 11. Seven miners lost their lives including a man named Rees T. Reese, whose photograph hangs on the wall of the museum.
Illness also took its toll, like the Diptheria epidemic of 1898, when several children died. The first doctor was Dr. Stone, who was succeeded by Dr. McCormick and then Dr. Mason. Dr. Mason studied at the University of Virginia along with a colleague and they both named a daughter Virginia after the school. The two went on to found Virginia Mason Clinic in Seattle. Black Diamond had an eight bed hospital because it took too long to take injured men to Seattle for treatment. The x-ray machine currently in the museum is one of the oldest in the state. The “Company”paid for the care of the men, whose insurance cost them $1.00 a month.4
Black Diamond wasn’t the only town in the area. During the coal mining heyday, about twenty small towns sprang up, several thrived for only ten years, then became ghost towns. Their names included Bayne, Buckly, Cumberland, Kangley, Kanasket, Kummer, Lawson, Morganville, Sellick, Taylorville, Veazie and Franklin, Black Diamond’s sister town.5
In most places, there often was a primary activity or industry. Coal mining was the focus for Black Diamond. During Prohibition it had another, very active industry: the distilling and distribution of various liquors. At the museum, you can see several fruit crushing machines and the stills that went along with them. Hops were also a prime agricultural crop. The participation in this industry did not come without its consequences!
All these places, activities and events created records. The Black Diamond Historical Society, with its lovely little museum on Railroad Avenue, is the keeper of those records. Its archivist is David Watson, ably assisted by long time volunteer Don Mason. If you have a name, they’ll find information for you and they are eager to help.
Dave is in the process of digitizing the masses of paper records and photographs contained in the archives. They recently purchased two, high speed scanners. One is set up to scan documents and the other is for photographs. Right now, he and Don are working on the photographs. The new scanner can scan one photo in seven seconds, saving the volunteers hours of time, which is a very big deal as there are more than 10,000 photos.
Also in the archives are numerous family files which must be scanned, catalogued and safely stored. In addition, there are town records from the twenty little, short-lived towns, and the various, individual mines from which they sprang. There are train records, bills of lading, and other associated information. After all, the coal had to be transported to sea ports, where much of it ended up in California.6 There are also lots of school records.
This massive digitizing project is expected to take about seven more years. They have all ready been at it for about three years.
As one peruses the names in the museum, they seem to come from all over the world. The original Welsh minors, along with some Italians, had the experience and know-how, and came with the company. Others joined later. Names found on the museum walls are Amsler, Anderson, Androsko, Berry, Betti, Christiansen, Cobb, Cushing, Dal Santo, Davies, Davis, Downey, Draghi, Edwards, Evans, Favro, Fowler, Grens, Grugurich, Hill, Hodge, Hughes, Johnson, Luebe, McDonald, Meneghini, Merryfield, Metzler, Morgan, Polley, Roberts, Rossi, Rosso, Santini, Silvestri, Steiert, Taylor, Thomas, Thompson, Vernarelli, Upton, and Watkins.
Unfortunately, due to the fragility of many of the records, they are not currently available for public perusal. Dave and Don are working hard to to get them all scanned and onto the museum's computers, which are not currently connected to the internet. In about three years, limited public access will begin for visiting researchers via those computers.
In the meantime, if you have a name, Dave or Don would be thrilled to look up the information for you. Just give them a call or send them an email and they will be happy to oblige you.
They are also on the lookout for additional materials. If you have photos or documents from Black Diamond or any of the surrounding towns, you may bring it to the museum and they will scan it, record the information, and return the originals to you along with a free, digital copy.
An associated activity is the Franklin Town Site Tour. Don Mason is the energetic leader of these tours, which take place in March and April, so that participants can see the town pieces through the dead blackberries. Bring your rain gear and hiking boots to manage the weather and the mud. This junket requires a one mile uphill walk. This isn’t a tour for the faint of heart! Signups are at the museum or call or send an email.
All in all, even though family history materials won’t be available to the public for a while, the resources are there for the asking. The museum, associated buildings including a packed antique shop, a family restaurant, and the famous Black Diamond Bakery, are all worth an afternoon’s visit. There is no charge to enter the museum but donations are gratefully accepted. There is also pizza and other food available at the Black Diamond Pizza and Deli across the street in the old Confectioner’s building.
The book, Black Diamond: Mining the Memories, is available for purchase for $20.00
--------
1 Carl Steiert, Black Diamond: Mining the Memories, compiled & edited by Diane & Cory Olson, Sir Speedy Printing, Kent, WA © 1988, 2003, pg. 1
2 Ibid., pg. 3
3 St. Barbara is the patron Saint of miners.
4. Black Diamond: Mining the Memories, compiled & edited by Diane & Cory Olson, Sir Speedy Printing, Kent, WA © 1988, 2003, pg. 149
5 Phone interview with David Watson, by Katie Hanzeli, 15 August 2018
6 Ibid.
See the information below to plan your visit:
Street Address: 32627 Railroad Avenue, Black Diamond, WA 98010
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 232, Black Diamond, WA 98010
Museum Hours
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday (Summer): 12:00 Noon - 4:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday (Winter): 12:00 Noon - 3:00 PM
Tours and Lectures: 360-886-2142
museum@blackdiamondmuseum.org
Website: blackdiamondmuseum.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlackDiamondHistory
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BD_History
Blog: www.BlackDiamondHistory.wordpress.com
©Kathleen MacLeod Hanzeli, 2018
=====
**Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events:
September 14: Family History Research Group at the LDS Church, 12817 SE 256th St., Kent. 1 – 3 pm.
September 17: Technology User Group (TUG) will discuss Privacy, Security, Strong Passwords & Password Programs Led by Janet Camarata Covington Library 1 – 3 pm
DID YOU KNOW that you can pay your dues (or Seminar Registration!) online without giving us your credit card number? Just request an invoice from Treasurer@skcgs.org and follow the instructions when you receive it.
“If it wasn’t for coal, there never would have been a Black Diamond, Washington.”1
About 1885, the Black Diamond Coal Company of California sent Morgan Morgan, their superintendent and Mr. P. B. Cornwall, the company’s president up North to check out the prospect of moving its entire operation from Nortonville to what is now Black Diamond, Washington. Coal, good quality coal, had been discovered in Newcastle, just North of there and explorations showed that even more was to be had. Morgan and Cornwall liked what they saw. The mostly Welsh and some Italian employees, their families and all the equipment were packed up, lock, stock and barrel, and moved to Washington.
Even before coal became king, there were homesteaders nearby, who had to go to Seattle via Covington to get supplies. Everything else they grew themselves, including tobacco.2 They had been settled in the area since the early 1870’s.
Welsh, Italians, Slovenians, British and other nationalities flocked to the area to make their fortune. They came, sent home for their families and settled in. Along with the miners came the grocers, postmasters, doctors and dentists, blacksmiths and other tradesman that were needed in any community.
In 1882, a town was born.
As with any place, people are born, live, die and are buried. The first couple to be married in Black Diamond was David and Elizabeth Watkins, who tied the knot on 14 August 1886. Citizens worked, participated in social events, joined groups like the “Slovenian Progressive Benefit Society,” attended Mass at St. Barbara’s3 and Holy Rosary Catholic Churches and held other services at the local Presbyterian Church and elsewhere, and in general went about their lives.
In addition to day to day living, there were the periodic mine disasters, explosions and tunnel collapses. One explosion occurred on 26 April 1907, on the Morgan Slope of Mine 11. Seven miners lost their lives including a man named Rees T. Reese, whose photograph hangs on the wall of the museum.
Illness also took its toll, like the Diptheria epidemic of 1898, when several children died. The first doctor was Dr. Stone, who was succeeded by Dr. McCormick and then Dr. Mason. Dr. Mason studied at the University of Virginia along with a colleague and they both named a daughter Virginia after the school. The two went on to found Virginia Mason Clinic in Seattle. Black Diamond had an eight bed hospital because it took too long to take injured men to Seattle for treatment. The x-ray machine currently in the museum is one of the oldest in the state. The “Company”paid for the care of the men, whose insurance cost them $1.00 a month.4
Black Diamond wasn’t the only town in the area. During the coal mining heyday, about twenty small towns sprang up, several thrived for only ten years, then became ghost towns. Their names included Bayne, Buckly, Cumberland, Kangley, Kanasket, Kummer, Lawson, Morganville, Sellick, Taylorville, Veazie and Franklin, Black Diamond’s sister town.5
In most places, there often was a primary activity or industry. Coal mining was the focus for Black Diamond. During Prohibition it had another, very active industry: the distilling and distribution of various liquors. At the museum, you can see several fruit crushing machines and the stills that went along with them. Hops were also a prime agricultural crop. The participation in this industry did not come without its consequences!
All these places, activities and events created records. The Black Diamond Historical Society, with its lovely little museum on Railroad Avenue, is the keeper of those records. Its archivist is David Watson, ably assisted by long time volunteer Don Mason. If you have a name, they’ll find information for you and they are eager to help.
Dave is in the process of digitizing the masses of paper records and photographs contained in the archives. They recently purchased two, high speed scanners. One is set up to scan documents and the other is for photographs. Right now, he and Don are working on the photographs. The new scanner can scan one photo in seven seconds, saving the volunteers hours of time, which is a very big deal as there are more than 10,000 photos.
Also in the archives are numerous family files which must be scanned, catalogued and safely stored. In addition, there are town records from the twenty little, short-lived towns, and the various, individual mines from which they sprang. There are train records, bills of lading, and other associated information. After all, the coal had to be transported to sea ports, where much of it ended up in California.6 There are also lots of school records.
This massive digitizing project is expected to take about seven more years. They have all ready been at it for about three years.
As one peruses the names in the museum, they seem to come from all over the world. The original Welsh minors, along with some Italians, had the experience and know-how, and came with the company. Others joined later. Names found on the museum walls are Amsler, Anderson, Androsko, Berry, Betti, Christiansen, Cobb, Cushing, Dal Santo, Davies, Davis, Downey, Draghi, Edwards, Evans, Favro, Fowler, Grens, Grugurich, Hill, Hodge, Hughes, Johnson, Luebe, McDonald, Meneghini, Merryfield, Metzler, Morgan, Polley, Roberts, Rossi, Rosso, Santini, Silvestri, Steiert, Taylor, Thomas, Thompson, Vernarelli, Upton, and Watkins.
Unfortunately, due to the fragility of many of the records, they are not currently available for public perusal. Dave and Don are working hard to to get them all scanned and onto the museum's computers, which are not currently connected to the internet. In about three years, limited public access will begin for visiting researchers via those computers.
In the meantime, if you have a name, Dave or Don would be thrilled to look up the information for you. Just give them a call or send them an email and they will be happy to oblige you.
They are also on the lookout for additional materials. If you have photos or documents from Black Diamond or any of the surrounding towns, you may bring it to the museum and they will scan it, record the information, and return the originals to you along with a free, digital copy.
An associated activity is the Franklin Town Site Tour. Don Mason is the energetic leader of these tours, which take place in March and April, so that participants can see the town pieces through the dead blackberries. Bring your rain gear and hiking boots to manage the weather and the mud. This junket requires a one mile uphill walk. This isn’t a tour for the faint of heart! Signups are at the museum or call or send an email.
All in all, even though family history materials won’t be available to the public for a while, the resources are there for the asking. The museum, associated buildings including a packed antique shop, a family restaurant, and the famous Black Diamond Bakery, are all worth an afternoon’s visit. There is no charge to enter the museum but donations are gratefully accepted. There is also pizza and other food available at the Black Diamond Pizza and Deli across the street in the old Confectioner’s building.
The book, Black Diamond: Mining the Memories, is available for purchase for $20.00
--------
1 Carl Steiert, Black Diamond: Mining the Memories, compiled & edited by Diane & Cory Olson, Sir Speedy Printing, Kent, WA © 1988, 2003, pg. 1
2 Ibid., pg. 3
3 St. Barbara is the patron Saint of miners.
4. Black Diamond: Mining the Memories, compiled & edited by Diane & Cory Olson, Sir Speedy Printing, Kent, WA © 1988, 2003, pg. 149
5 Phone interview with David Watson, by Katie Hanzeli, 15 August 2018
6 Ibid.
See the information below to plan your visit:
Street Address: 32627 Railroad Avenue, Black Diamond, WA 98010
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 232, Black Diamond, WA 98010
Museum Hours
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday (Summer): 12:00 Noon - 4:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday (Winter): 12:00 Noon - 3:00 PM
Tours and Lectures: 360-886-2142
museum@blackdiamondmuseum.org
Website: blackdiamondmuseum.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlackDiamondHistory
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BD_History
Blog: www.BlackDiamondHistory.wordpress.com
©Kathleen MacLeod Hanzeli, 2018
=====
**Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events:
September 14: Family History Research Group at the LDS Church, 12817 SE 256th St., Kent. 1 – 3 pm.
September 17: Technology User Group (TUG) will discuss Privacy, Security, Strong Passwords & Password Programs Led by Janet Camarata Covington Library 1 – 3 pm
DID YOU KNOW that you can pay your dues (or Seminar Registration!) online without giving us your credit card number? Just request an invoice from Treasurer@skcgs.org and follow the instructions when you receive it.
I've lived just outside of Black Diamond for over 40 years and I didn't know these things! Thanks, Katie!
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