Black Diamond History

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Historical 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

. “Every miner at BLACK DIAMOND probably knows the three men whose likenesses appear above. If there is one who doesn’t...
12/31/2025

. “Every miner at BLACK DIAMOND probably knows the three men whose likenesses appear above. If there is one who doesn’t, he should. They represent the three phases of coal mining most vital to the industry; efficiency and economy in operation, safety inspection, and first aid and mine rescue training.” – Pacific Coast Bulletin, December 31, 1925

In Supt. Paul Gallagher largely rests the success or failure of the mine’s operation. Closely related is the safety inspection, directed by Deputy State Mine Inspector, Geo. T. Wake, under th…

. “Two men lost their lives and three others were imprisoned for eight hours before being released by a rescue crew fol...
12/30/2025

. “Two men lost their lives and three others were imprisoned for eight hours before being released by a rescue crew following a cave-in that occurred in the old BLACK DIAMOND MINE No. 11 at Black Diamond yesterday afternoon.” – Seattle Times, December 30, 1925

Old Black Diamond Mine No. 11, deepest colliery in the United States, is scene of fatal “bump.”

. “Toys and sugar plums in such quantity that Santa Claus’ reindeer-drawn sled couldn’t hold them, forcing the jolly ol...
12/27/2025

. “Toys and sugar plums in such quantity that Santa Claus’ reindeer-drawn sled couldn’t hold them, forcing the jolly old saint to ship them out from his Seattle supply depot by rail, were distributed to almost 250 RAVENSDALE children at a Christmas entertainment held in the coal mining town under the auspices of the Central Labor Council of Seattle and vicinity.” – Seattle Times, December 26, 1915

Less than two months ago Ravensdale was the scene of a mine explosion that cost the lives of thirty-one union mine workers and the entertainment was arranged by the central council’s Ravensda…

. “CEDAR RIVER WATER flowed into the city limits of Seattle Monday night at 10 o’clock through the mains of the new gra...
12/26/2025

. “CEDAR RIVER WATER flowed into the city limits of Seattle Monday night at 10 o’clock through the mains of the new gravity system. Unknown to the general public the water from the river was let into the main pipe line filling it almost to its greatest capacity and was then allowed to flow into the main trunk sewer at Twelfth Ave. S. and Lane St., by which it found its way into Elliott Bay.” – Seattle P-I, December 26, 1900

The Landsburg dam is used to divert drinking water from the Cedar River to the pipeline serving the City of Seattle. The original dam was constructed in 1900 and updated in 1935, as shown here.

. “Carl Steiert remembers CHRISTMAS in BLACK DIAMOND [now more than 100] years ago. There was always a foot of snow on ...
12/25/2025

. “Carl Steiert remembers CHRISTMAS in BLACK DIAMOND [now more than 100] years ago. There was always a foot of snow on the ground in those days, and a bobsledder who started at the top of Lawson Hill could skid through icy streets, past rows of miners’ houses, defying death and the shaking fists of threatened pedestrians.” – Seattle Times, December 24, 1985

Once there were parties and music and carolers, and Christmas was the highlight of the year. But the celebrations, like Black Diamond itself, have faded away, kept alive only in the old-timers’ mem…

. “Christmas gives us another opportunity to extend a word of greeting to every member of the PACIFIC COAST FAMILY, and...
12/25/2025

. “Christmas gives us another opportunity to extend a word of greeting to every member of the PACIFIC COAST FAMILY, and to wish the compliments of the season to all of you. Regardless of the vicissitudes of our daily lives throughout the year, when the Yuletide approaches we turn our thoughts towards the theme of ‘Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.’” – Pacific Coast Bulletin, December 24, 1925

To every one we extend our cordial wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

. “Deputy Coroner Powers left yesterday afternoon for BLACK DIAMOND on receipt of information that two men had been kil...
12/25/2025

. “Deputy Coroner Powers left yesterday afternoon for BLACK DIAMOND on receipt of information that two men had been killed at the mining camp yesterday morning. Inquests upon both cases will be held today at Black Diamond.” – Seattle P-I, December 25, 1900

Two men are killed, one by a fall of earth in the coal mine, the other by a train

. “No blame was affixed for the disaster Wednesday in the Pacific Coast Coal Co.’s mine at BLACK DIAMOND, resulting in ...
12/24/2025

. “No blame was affixed for the disaster Wednesday in the Pacific Coast Coal Co.’s mine at BLACK DIAMOND, resulting in the loss of four lives, by a coroner’s jury which investigated the matter…. The men came to their death ‘because of an unavoidable bump,’ the jury found. Bump is a mining term for cave-in.” – Seattle P-I, December 24, 1920

The bodies of the four victims of the disaster, Charles Hevlin, Joseph Grill, Frank Bussey, and Frank Nivone, were recovered yesterday after a rescue team of twenty men had worked for nearly twenty…

. “ORGANIZED LABOR of Seattle and vicinity will play Santa Claus to more than 250 little boys and girls, children of th...
12/24/2025

. “ORGANIZED LABOR of Seattle and vicinity will play Santa Claus to more than 250 little boys and girls, children of the less fortunate members, this evening when two Christmas entertainments will be given under trade union auspices. The more elaborate of the two will be staged at the little mining town of RAVENSDALE.” – Seattle Times, December 24, 1915

Unusual interest attaches to the Ravensdale entertainment since the primary purpose is to take Christmas cheer into the homes desolated little more than a month ago when a mine explosion in the tow…

. “Bodies of four men killed by a cave-in of hundreds of tons of rock yesterday in a stope mine of the Pacific Coast Co...
12/23/2025

. “Bodies of four men killed by a cave-in of hundreds of tons of rock yesterday in a stope mine of the Pacific Coast Coal Co. at BLACK DIAMOND were recovered at various times early this morning. A rescue crew of more than 20 men, working in gangs of three men each and directed by M.A. Morgan, superintendent of the mine, recovered the bodies after great labor.” – Seattle Times, December 23, 1920

Frank Nivone, 45, a timber man, was the first to be found. His body was seen at 1 o’clock this morning and recovered an hour later. The body of Joe Grill, 50, a miner, was recovered an hour and a h…

. “Buried under hundreds of tons of rock when the roof of the pillar in which they were working caved in, four men were...
12/23/2025

. “Buried under hundreds of tons of rock when the roof of the pillar in which they were working caved in, four men were killed yesterday in the Pacific Coast Coal Co.’s mine at BLACK DIAMOND.” – Seattle P-I, December 23, 1920

The accident occurred shortly after 9 a.m., and a gang of men immediately started to dig out huge pile of rock, but at midnight none of the bodies had been recovered. The work was to be continued t…

. Read this story—told through the eyes of a special Christmas gift—of a mining accident on December 22, 1920, that too...
12/22/2025

. Read this story—told through the eyes of a special Christmas gift—of a mining accident on December 22, 1920, that took the lives of Frank Bussey and three of his MINE 11 workmates.

For weeks I was among the dolls at the company store, having arrived in the summer of 1920. I was made by the Efanbee Doll Company of fine porcelain, glass eyes, human hair, and specially designed …

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