Homes, Buildings & Places
of the Past and Present
Page 16
Great Heart Coal Sign
The sign reads:
GREAT HEART COAL
THE BEST COAL IN THE WORLD
In 1938, noted polar explorer, Admiral Richard E. Byrd,
while preparing for his United States Antarctic service expedition
to the South Pole, chose Peabody Coal Company's Great Heart
Coal, to accompany him on his exploration. This
exceptionally fine grade of coal was renowned
for its excellent heat producing efficiency. The coal
was mined at Peabody's Black Mountain Corporation
Number 30 Mine at Kenvir, Kentucky, and
loaded into 100 pound sacks, bearing the company logo of
the big red heart, and the date of the expedition.
The sacks were then transferred to rail cars where they started
their eventual journey to Antarctica. It was after this event,
that the company coined their Great Heart brand as the best coal in the world.
The Black Mountain Corporation Mine began production in 1918 and
ceased all operations in the spring of 1958. The town of Kenvir
derived its name by taking the first three letters of Kentucky
and the first three letters of Virginia.
