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!!!!!!COAL!!!!!
(Condensed version)
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At one time Richmond/Ray County’s main industry besides agricultural.
In l868, the first train route came through Richmond. The St. Louis& St. Joseph Railway. This opened a whole new venue to Richmond and the surrounding towns. It not only meant people could travel, it was mainly a way to distribute products From Richmond to bring income into the town, which meant employment and much needed and necessary business and people.
In l868, several of the town’s leaders got together, decided the railway could be taken advantage of, and sunk the first coal mine shaft in l868. Most of the coal in the area was ’shaft’ and loaded into rail cars. Richmond boasted a very high quality coal and was always in demand country0wide. By l907, there were 5l active mines in Ray County. Horse power and steam were used to hoist the coal out and the miners using oil lamps, (lard) fastened to their caps, would spend most of their working lives in these dark and treacherous holes.
The ventilation was always very poor, as the there was no way for the air to circulate down there. Huge furnaces were built, attached to the sides of the mines, and the fires that were kept stoked, would cause the air to go up the draft, making ventilation for the men down below. **
