Hi Ms. Becky Roberts, All the Brannon's mentioned in this article are my GG Grandparents and Uncles. Doc and Salley Brannon are my GG Grandparents that ran the old boarding house. Now buried in the Estelle Cemetery. My Father, Ralph Brannon, Son of Tom Brannon that was Son of Doc and Salley Brannon, was born in Estelle when it was a thriving community. I still remember the old wooden trussle and the small Dinky train down there when I was very young. Thanks for putting the article on the E-Mail. My Grand Mother was a Smith, her Mother was an Andrews from the same area. We have the Walker County Heritage Book and it is really interesting to read. Thanks again for putting this on the E-Mail...... Tom Brannon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Becky Roberts" <pilotsmom@classicnet.net> To: <GAWALKER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 9:41 AM Subject: [GAWALKER] Estelle Mine > List Members, > I just thought I would post a little information about the Estelle Mine in LaFayette, in case some of your ancestors worked at the mine. > > The following was taken from the Walker County Heritage 1833-1983: > > ESTELLE IRON ORE MINES > > During the early part of this century the iron ore mines at Estelle were yielding vast quantities of high grade ore. These mines were dug into the same foothills of Pigeon Mountain where just a few years earlier Gen. Braxton Bragg stood waiting for an unsuspecting union army to walk into his trap. > > The iron ore mines in Estelle were operated for many years by a number of hard working employees who lived in this mining town. One of the men who worked in these mines was Raymond Watts. He along with my grandmother, Daisy Kellogg, were able to recall the following history of the Chattanooga Iron and Coal Corporation at Estelle. > > Boys as young as seven would help load ore. Ten year old boys worked at the crusher, and at the age of twelve could become what was known as "mule boys". The mule boys would leave home around six-o'-clock in order to get the mules prepared for entry into the mines at six-thirty. The mule boys worked ten hours a day for twenty cents per hour. Push boys, crushers, fireman, engineers, and breakies were some of the other jobs available for the men and boys who lived in the area. > > Sally and Doc Brannon operated a boarding house for several years. It offered the miners, who didn't live in one of the many houses, a place to stay. Paul Shaw, clerk, and Barker Hall, butcher, were employed at the huge commissary where food and supplies could be obtained. > > S.F. Evans, Otto Deits, and Mike Lowe are three men who served as superintendent of the mining company. Mr. Evans was the first man to own an automobile in Estelle, a Ford Model-T. There were two schools in Estelle. One was a little red schoolhouse located in Depot Hollow. The other was a three room school, the Estelle School, which stood on the hill where Estelle Cemetery is now found. Lily Morgan Ransom, Professor Sartain, and a Mrs. Tanner were some of the teachers who taught the three R's to the children. > > Rev. John Bill Devlin, pastor of the Church of God, was the minister of the only church in Estelle. Rev. Devlin was well liked and respected by his neighbors who listened to his Sunday morning sermons. > > When the people of Estelle needed the services of a doctor, they would call on either Doc Gates or Doc Jim Wood. These two gentlemen were very capable physicians, who tended to the sick, cared for the injured, and delivered babies. > > Mining ore was not only an exhausting occupation but also a dangerous one. Accidents can occur in any mine and Estelle was no exception. Gilbert Watts, son of Columbus Watts, was killed while working in one of the mines. He was accidentally run over by a dinky car and died the following day. > > The town barber, Balcom Barfield, cut hair for a very reasonable price. Brothers Pearl and Luke Steele handled any jobs concerning a blacksmith. William Watts owned a gristmill and ran a general store in part of his house. He was also a carpenter for the mining company. He built trestles, bridges, and the forms for the concrete tip still in existence in Estelle. > > Sunday, the day off, was the time for recreation. If the miners weren't fishing, hunting, or playing horseshoes they could be found at the baseball field. The Estelle crew played teams from Durham, LaFayette, and Chickamauga. > > Here is a list of a few of the many men who worked in the Estelle mines; Frank Atchley, Clarence Ballinger, Quillian Ballinger, Edmund Beard, Ellison Beard, Sam Bradley, Tom Brannon, Walter Brannon, Garland Castleberry, Webb Castleberry, Joe Cole, Jess Cornish, Will Cornish, Ed Devlin, John Bill Devlin, Baxter Elders, Earl Franklin, Alec George, Jip George, Marion Gibson, Hugh Hise, Albert Hopkins, Charley Hopkins, Dick Houfman, John Houfman, Jack Huffstetler, Luke Jefferies, Paul Kellogg, Bill Kilgore, Gord Kilgore, Willie Kilgore, Herman Lee, Ison Lee, Jess Lee, Walt McCullough, Charley Martin, Chester Martin, Homer Martin, Grady Mathis, Richard Monds, Jim Nalley, Mack Nelson, Shane Nelson, Duff Odum, Jess Pettijohn, Jim Powell, Ad Ray, Joe Ray, Huss Ridley, Jack Ridley, Jim Ridley, Bob Sims, Charley Slayton, Gene Slayton, Pearl Steele, Luke Steele, Earl Styles, Grady Sweet, Bunk Voiles, Bud Watts, Clifford Watts, Charley Watts, Duel Watts, Gilbert Watts, Henry Watts, Joh! > n Watts, Lum Watts, Jim Watts, Raymond Watts, and William Watts. By: Dan Stoker, Jr. > > > Another article about ESTELLE MINES: > > ESTELLE MINES > > The ore mines at Shaw, Georgia, were incorporated on June 24, 1897. Partners in the venture were John V. Costello, W.D. Hix, and James Costello. The operation was known as the Estelle Mining Company, named for Estelle P. Shaw (1864-1882), daughter of Jesse Mercer Shaw and Mary Camp Shaw. > > At the height of this operation the company employed two hundred and thirty five men. This community comprised one hundred and seventy-five houses for the workers. A commissary provided for all the needs of the employees and their families from furniture to clothing, groceries and household goods. > > There were two schools with an enrollment of one hundred ninety children. Both of the schools were maintained by the county and the men at Estelle who subscribed seventy percent of the cost and who also retained a physician for medical attention. > > The Estelle property consisted of four thousand six hundred acres and had a blacksmith shop, machine shop, carpenter shop, steam plant, sawmill and a supply house. There was a six mile narrow gauge railroad called the "Dinky" which began at the crusher and ran through seven tunnels to the mines. Ore was hauled from the mines to the crusher on this railroad. As the demand for ore started to wane, operations at the mines began to slacken and finally ceased in 1924. By: Frank Shaw, Jr. > > > Becky > Pilotsmom@classicnet.net > > > ==== GAWALKER Mailing List ==== > If you wish to unsubscribe from the Walker Co., GA list, send only the word > UNSUBSCRIBE to GAWALKER-l-request@rootsweb.com or if you are on the Digest List > to GAWALKER-d-request@rootsweb.com > >