Yesterday afternoon I sat in on some interviews with some of the older people in the Durham/Ascalon area talking about growing up in the mining area and working in these mines. Mostly they just told how populated it once was and what it was like to work in the mines. The oldest man was 92. However, although these people worked in the mines and lived in the area, their time was on the down side of the mining operations. The height of the operation was probably between 1890 and 1905. I always learn many things from interviews like this and enjoy listening. I never knew until yesterday that there were coke ovens here on top of the mountain that were used before the railroad was built going off the mountain to the ovens in Chickamauga. Some of them are still standing but in a very overgrown area. I did see a few of them. The last train carrying coal off the mountain was ca 1944 (more or less). The last mine to shut down was in 1965. Something else that surprised me. I asked several of the people if they remembered the names of some of the early residents. They gave one or two names but not enough to help. Delilah, one man did tell me he remembered Lack Evans/Avans and that he was a constable at one time. To those of you who wanted a copy of the Durham booklet, I was loaned a copy for a few days in order to make copies. If anyone is interested, the copy charge will be 5c a page plus postage. I think there are 8 pages including front and back... I left it in my truck so I wouldn't forget it when I went to Fort Oglethorpe to Office Depot. Duke, since you are originally from the Chattanooga Valley like me, I was also loaned a three page article that was written in 1915 about the Valley. Would you like a copy of that also? Charles Austin, shut your eyes and skip over this part... I had been shown the "hanging tree" before but was also shown again yesterday. I made a picture. It is about 1/4 of a mile on Durham Rd off Lula Lake Rd (Hwy 157). Two or three of the people said that after the hanging the tree never did grow anyone. A man was accused of rape... I was not clear if he stood trail or not, I don't think he did. Sue Forrester