>From the book "20th Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens," (Doyle,Joseph B., 1910) Chapter XVI, Natural Resources and Development, Page 252-253: That the value of coal as a fuel was early appreciated is evident, for Bezaleel Wells operated a drift mine in 1810-11, and John Permar, James Odbert and others carried on the business in 1815-16. One Fetz Smith is said to have grubbed coal out of the hill at Rockville before these dates and if so he may be honored as the pioneer in this direction. >From this time the number of banks rapidly increased, and by 1845 river shipments became active, coal being shipped as far away as New Orleans in drifting flats, which became the immense tows of later days. As previously stated, the principal outcrop in the vicinity of Steubenville was the No. 8, or Pittsburgh, vein, which has played an important part during the last few years in the industrial development of the southern part of the county. While the output of these banks was considerable in the aggregate, the time was approaching when larger and more systematic efforts were needed, and preparations were started to reach the lower veins, which could only be done by means of shafts. There was a record that in 1829 Adam Wise, while drilling for water on the western side of the city, had perforated a vein of coal eleven feet thick. So in 1856 a corporation was formed by James Wallace and others, under the name of Steubenville Coal & Mining Company, in order that there might be secured a constant supply for manufacturing and domestic purposes in Steubenville, not subject to interruption from bad roads and other causes. Previous to sinking a shaft a well was drilled at the rear of the Ashland woolen factory, on Liberty Street, and a vein reported eight feet thick. So a shaft was begun, and, after many interruptions due to inexperience, the vein was reached and found to be only three feet nine inches thick. This was the vein afterwards known as No. 6, sometimes claimed to be No. 7. The managers were disgusted and out of funds and the shaft lay idle until February, 1858, when Louden Borland, H.K. Reynolds and Mr. Manful leased the mine for five years. The work still languished when Manful sold out to William Averick, an experienced English miner, when operations were resumed, this time with success. In 1865 the original company bought back the lease, which had been extended ten years, and installed James H. Blinn as manager and William Smurthwaite as mine boss. They had 600 acres of coal land, and their domestic market, with shipments by rail and water, gave them a business of over 7,000 bushels per day, and the 100 coke ovens turned out 3,500 bushels of coke. In 1871 an additional shaft was sunk at Stony Hollow about a mile north of the old shaft, reaching the coal at a depth of 187 feet, the old one being 221 feet 4 inches, the vein being higher at that point and the surface lower. This shaft is still in operation, and although the advent of natural gas has interfered considerably with the domestic market, yet seventy-five men are steadily employed, and the latest improvements have been made in the way of ventilating fans, electrical machinery, etc. The officers are Geo. W. McCook, president and manager; F.C. Chambers, secretary; Charles Peterson, bookkeeper, and William Smurthwaite, superintendent. William Smurthwaite, Sr., who has held this position for over 40 years has turned over the active management of the mine to his son, who has learned the business thoroughly under his fathers supervision. (There is more about different shafts, but I only copied the few pages that had information on ancestors I was researching.) Kay Schaney e-mail: kstarr@i.am web: http://i.am/kstarr