Black Star Coal Mining Camp     
Alva, Kentucky

Black Star Reunion this year is August 16, 2008, Cumberland Inn, Williamsburg, KY.  Contact Joyce Toler 931-461-9826  Email: jmtoler4@bellsouth.net

1938 New York Times Magazine reprint of "Behind the Conflict in Bloody Harlan" click below.
New photos from Eugene Crawford added 6-28-08 look under Gene Crawford Photos.  Also added photos from Dorothy Taylor Aston 6-28-08.  Look under her link near the bottom of the page.
7-22-08 - Updated Black Star Class of 1958 - Reunion 2008 with new photos.

This website is dedicated to the miners and their families who worked at the Black Star mines in Harlan County, Kentucky.  We have some photos we hope you will find of interest.  Click on any of the small photos to see a larger one in a new window.  If you have photos or stories to contribute to this page, please contact Ancil Hall P.O. Box 127, Barbourville, Ky. 40906.  If you live in SE Kentucky, contact Ancil Hall at the Knox County Attorney's Office in Barbourville, Ky. or email at ancilhall@aol.com or Trent Hall, email address is trent40906@yahoo.com

1938 New York Times Magazine
Behind the Conflict in "Bloody Harlan"
Click on photo for complete article

We had to remove the Old Guestbook because obscene material was entered and this was beyond our control.  Please sign our new Guestbook below.

 
View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook

To view the OLD Guestbook, click the link below.
Old Guest Book - Click Here

Click here for some Photos we started out with

Alva Memorial Gardens, Alva, Ky.

The complete Black Star School - Sept 1934 photo is large and takes awhile to load up. But, it is worth the wait. Click Below.

Black Star School - all Classes - 1934

Black Star Commissary on Pay Day

Photo courtesy of Rosie (Williams) Hall    1915-2001

Pay Day at Black Star.  Notice the line on the left side goes all the way down the railroad tracks. This mine operated as Black Star Coal Company Inc. from 1923-1928 and employed 400 miners.  From 1939 to 1958 it was known as the Black Star Coal Corporation and employed 900 miners.

This area was considered to be the "hub" of the Black Star Coal Mining Camp.
The Kelioka Tipple, Bathhouse, Lighthouse, Black Star #4 Mine & Conveyor, & Main Tipple. (Note houses on Bathhouse road).  This photo hung in the Commissary and other locations throughout the Mining Camp.  This photo courtesy of Clayton Taylor. 
 

Mary Elizabeth Martin Birthday party @ the Restaurant at Black Star - 1939
L to R:  Sue Ann Hodges, Stewart "Bud" Hodges, George "Topsy" Lee, Unknown, Unknown, Mary Elizabeth Martin, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, Joann Snograss, Virginia Snodgrass
Photo submitted by: Mary Elizabeth Martin Howard
 

Our Black Star friends have donated their personal photos of Black Star and the surrounding areas.
It was brought to our attention that the Black Star Reunion Photos for 2003, 2004, & 2005 was photographed by Vencil Engle. We wish to thank Vencil for his contributions.