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Coal Mining in the 1950s
The Enderby
Coal Mine was renewed in the winter of 1953. Only four people were working at the mine:
Art Lundman, N.S.Johnson, Ed Peacher, and another man were the only people actually
digging for coal.
The Enderby Coal Mine was revived by Art Lundman. Ed Peacher approached Mr. Lundman with
samples of coal, and the two of them decided to revive the old mine. A company was formed
called Cliffview Collaries. Ed Peacher was president, Mr. Lundman was the secretary, and
N.S. Johnson was vice-president.
An additional tunnel was made 11 feet up from the old one. This went about 90 feet. Not
much coal was found here. It was mostly slide material. After much digging, a seam was not
found.
The miners received miners' wages, which was not a generous amount. Most of the work done
on the coal mine was volunteer. Certified coal miners had to be hired.
The coal was mined with air drills and jack hammers. The coal found was of good quality.
In the 1950's, a lot of the coal excavated was dumped in a creek that runs by the tunnel
entrance. When this coal was found again in 1953 it was still of excellent quality. Coal
of poor quality would have disintegrated.
Not much coal had been found in the additional tunnel until a bulldozer moved away most of
the slide material; about 15 feet of coal was found. After this coal was found, Mr.
Peacher believed that coal could be found in a tunnel 100 feet up the valley. The other
miners didn't go along with this idea, though, because the money was running out.
In the early month of 1954 the Enderby Mine was closed because all the money ran out. The
cabin that had been built was taken down and the machinery sold.
Daryl Rands, Vern Kimp, Jon Buxton Carr
ALF School 1989