News reports and photos from Black Diamond and the towns of Bayne, Cumberland, Danville, Durham, Elkcoal, Franklin, Kangley, Krain, Kummer, Lawson, Navy, Palmer, Ravensdale, and Selleck
Originally published in The Seattle Daily Times, May 22, 1953
Operations of the Pacific Coast Co. produced a net profit of $307,201 last year after taxes and all charges, and the company has scheduled dividends on its three classes of stock, Hugh Jay Jacks, San Francisco, president and chairman, has reported to stockholders.
The profit compared with the $942,531 net reported for 1951, which included the profit from sale of the Pacific Coast Railroad Co. here that year to the Great Northern Railway Co. for $1,700,000.
Originally published in the Pacific Coast Bulletin, May 15, 1929
Some outfit in the Mountain League may stop this steam-rolling bunch from Black Diamond. The way they are travelling now it is going to take a couple of barricades and few barrages to turn the trick. Bill Cushing is certainly leading a smooth working, snappy bunch of socking sluggers. They don’t do much beefing but, brother, they do a man’s size job of biffing.”
Originally published in The Seattle Sunday Times, May 9, 1937
A King County fire truck, the entire Renton Fire Department, and two automobiles of King County deputy sheriffs were dispatched to Hobart, in the central part of the county last night, at reports the town was burning.
Night Officer D.P. Reed of the Renton Police Department said reports to him from Maple Valley indicated several buildings were afire and the entire town threatened.
Originally published in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 23, 1923
156 fuel men tour workings of Pacific Coast Company; are feted at banquet
One hundred and fifty-six Pacific Coast Coal Company dealers, from Washington and Oregon, the largest number of fuel men ever assembled from the two states, visited mines and other plants of the company at Newcastle, Renton, Black Diamond, and Burnett yesterday.
Calling them fuel men is a misnomer because the delegation included one woman, Mrs. Agnes Shano of Ellensburg, said to be the only woman coal dealer in the Northwest.
Originally published in The Seattle Daily Times, March 22, 1923
Coal company entertains retail dealers—One hundred and fifty retail coal dealers from every section of the state were the guests of the Pacific Coast Coal Company today on a sightseeing trip through the mines operated by the company in this vicinity. Properties at Newcastle, Black Diamond, and Burnett, and the briquet plant at Renton were inspected today, and tonight the dealers will attend a banquet at the Hotel Frye, arranged by the company. Left to right—Frank Crimp, Ellensburg; Wylie Hemphill, domestic sales manager; and F.N. McCorkle, Chehalis.
Retail coal dealers from every section of the state were guests of the Pacific Coast Coal Company today at an inspection trip to properties operated by the company in this vicinity.
Originally published in the Pacific Coast Bulletin, March 15, 1929
Part of the marine bunker crew lined up on the south dock of the electric bunkers. Those in the front row are all bunkermen.
Front row, reading from left to right: Pete McDonald, M.J. Hayes, Thomas Murphy, G.F. Cranston, William Clark, G. Brown, E.L. Atkins, Hossis Hasson, M. Kearney. Back row, left to right: Harry Cogeshall, bunker superintendent; M.A. Puries, crane helper; Curtis Crenshaw, crane operator; Ed. Berkman, bunkerman; John Kambitsch, bunkerman; and Charles Bishop, crane helper.
Originally published in the Maplevalley Messenger, February 23, 1922
Technicalities in wording of contract between Milwaukee R.R. and county causes more delay
The contract for the overhead crossing at Maplevalley is being held up by the prosecuting attorney’s office because of certain clauses which do not meet with the county’s approval. It may be necessary to draw up a new agreement before it can be submitted to the county commissioners for their signature.
The paragraphs in question relate to the maintenance of the planking on the bridge and to the fill at the east end, the whole burden of these being thrown on the county. The original understanding was that the railroad would pay 40% of these costs.
A delegation of Maplevalley citizens attended the commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 14th, in an effort to hasten the completion of the crossing.
Extract from the Bulletin of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, February 1915
By Charles T. Malcolmson
Briquetting plant of Pacific Coast Coal Co., near Seattle, Wash
For industrial plants and railroad purposes steam coal was rapidly displaced by the economically superior oil; by the end of 1913, practically all the furnaces in the locomotives, steamships, and large steam plants were transformed to burn oil.
The Pacific Coast Coal Co., the largest producer of coal on the Pacific Coast, early realized what this condition would eventually mean, and began to search for some means to convert its now unmarketable fine coal into a profitable domestic fuel.
The late James Andersen, chief engineer of the company, was delegated to make this investigation. After he had visited many briquetting plants in the United States and Europe covering a period of three years, the Malcolmson Briquet Engineering Co., of Chicago, was awarded a contract to design and build a complete coal-briquetting plant.
Originally published in Maple Valley Neighbors, February 2023
By JoAnne Matsumura Maple Valley Historical Society
It was early February and snow flurries in the surrounding foothills caused concern that the new Maple Valley post office, under the direction of W.A. Burtenshaw, would not be completed before snowfall.
The weather bureau gave no reports and there was conflicting information, yet the snow kept getting closer. The blizzard hit Tacoma and Seattle. Seattle got 24 inches of the white fluffy flakes in a few hours, while at the same time Maple Valley was getting its fair share.
Originally published in The Seattle Sunday Times, February 1, 1948
Descendent of pioneer-built line still doing some business in King County
By Willard Marsh
‘Old Number 14.’ Of the 29.6-mile Pacific Coast Railroad, proof that a steam locomotive actually never wears out but merely becomes obsolescent in its old age, labors mightily at the smoky end of empty gondola cars enroute to the coal mines of Black Diamond.
The Pacific Coast Railroad, in King County operates 29.6 miles of track, according to its own official timetables. This makes the Pacific Coast a short-line railroad, one of the few remaining in the United States.
The American short-line railroad was born, grew strong, served a purpose in the growth of a nation, then declined and almost disappeared in the 50 years embracing the last quarter of the 19th and the first quarter of the 20th century.
Black Diamond History 