MOUNT HOPE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A longtime coal miner and tour guide is urging Mount Hope officials to rehabilitate the historic Siltix Mine portal and memorial, saying the site no longer reflects the sacrifices made by the miners it honors.
During Tuesday night’s Mount Hope City Council meeting, Don Barrett, a veteran coal miner and tour guide at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, asked city leaders to pursue grants and other funding opportunities to restore the site, which sits along W.Va. Route 16 overlooking Mount Hope.
Barrett said he regularly meets visitors from across the country who travel to southern West Virginia to experience the region’s coal mining history. Many of those visitors make stops in Mount Hope.
“These people want to see coal. They want to see some coal mines,” Barrett said. “They talk very highly about how clean the town is and how nice the people are… But they really talk bad about how the Siltixmine site looks.”
Barrett said visitors frequently compliment the town before expressing disappointment with the condition of the memorial.
“I think these miners deserve better than what they’ve got there,” Barrett said.
He compared the site to the Upper Big Branch Mine memorial in Raleigh County, saying it is well maintained and honors the miners who lost their lives.
“Driving past there every day, I look at it and say it’s a shame. Those guys deserve better,” Barrett said.
According to Barrett, tourists from states including California and New York often ask where they can learn about West Virginia’s coal heritage, and he directs many of them to Mount Hope.
“I tell them to come to Mount Hope, look at the coal miner memorial and look at the coal scene. They come through here, but they’re disappointed by what they see,” he said.
Barrett urged the city to seek grant funding to improve the appearance of the property.
“These miners put their lives on the line. They gave their lives. Their families lived around here and in this town. They deserve better,” Barrett said.
Mayor Mike Kessinger agreed improvements are needed and said city officials have already begun exploring options.
“We’ve spent a lot of time digging around opportunities,” Kessinger said. “We’ve met with engineers… and looked at different options.”
Kessinger said the city has discussed creating a walking tour around the historic mine portal and has consulted with engineers following a major water line break in the area that brought renewed attention to the site.
“It is something that definitely needs to be done, and it’s certainly on the agenda,” Kessinger said. “It could be a lot better than it is, and it deserves to be.”
Responding to Barrett’s question about the deteriorating retaining wall, Kessinger said the city has discussed the project with the West Virginia Division of Highways, engineers and the state’s Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program
“We think there’s truly a big opportunity there,” Kessinger said.
He said officials have discussed the possibility of a guided walking tour if mine safety experts determine portions of the historic workings can be safely evaluated.
“What would need to happen first is we’d need to get a mine safety team to go in and evaluate the mine,” Kessinger said. “That’s probably the biggest hold-up at this point.”
Kessinger said regardless of whether a walking tour becomes feasible, the outside appearance of the memorial and mine portal deserves attention.
“We definitely agree with you, Don. This project needs to be done… It certainly needs to be addressed,” Kessinger said.
The Siltix Mine, once operated by the New River Company, was one of several mines that helped establish Mount Hope as an important coal-producing community during southern West Virginia’s mining boom.
The site is also remembered for one of the area’s deadliest mining tragedies. On July 23, 1966, a methane gas explosion ripped through the mine, killing seven miners and injuring six others.
The disaster prompted state and federal investigations and remains one of West Virginia’s notable coal mining disasters of the 1960s.
The discussion comes as Mount Hope resident Dan Matheny is leading a community fundraising effort to construct a memorial gazebo at the Siltix Mine site.
Supporters hope the gazebo, along with future rehabilitation efforts, will create a more fitting place to honor the miners and preserve one of Mount Hope’s most significant historic landmarks.
