Hi Doris, I will let Jimmie tell you about Burning Springs, but I do have some local history to add. I don't think there were any mines in Wirt County either. There was, however, a mine in Ritchie County. It was called Ritchie Mines and was apparently the only asphalt mine in the United States. There is some information in The History of Ritchie County and can be found at ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/wv/ritchie/history/hrc010.txt The mine was near Macfarlan which is not too far from the Wirt County line and the Burning Springs District. For instance, if your uncle lived in Brohard, he could have been within a couple of miles, as the crow flies. Last year the mine was open for a few tours. Mark ----- Original Message ----- Hi List, [snip] The only other time that I found Charles was on the 1870 West Virginia Census. He is listed as C.L. Montanden, Wirt Co., W.V, pg 241, Burning Springs Township. Occupation: Miner Is there anyone out there who could point me in the right direction in finding any information on Charles. I know that there were coal mines in the area. Could he have been killed in an mining accident? Were there any records kept on men killed in such accidents? Any help is greatly appreciated. Doris Perkins ______________________________