Eastern Regional Coal Archives
Craft Memorial Library
600 Commerce Street
Bluefield, WV 24701
(304) 325-3943
For more information, contact Dr. Stuart McGehee at (304) 325-3943.
http://craftmemorial.lib.wv.us/coal.htm

The Eastern Regional Coal Archives in located on the second floor of the Craft Memorial Library in downtown Bluefield, West Virginia.  The ERCA is open by appointment only for those inserted in serious research about the coal industry.  Typically, researchers will contact Dr. Stuart McGehee in advance and let him know their area of interest.  Stuart will set up an appointment, will locate relevant materials in the archives, and will have the materials ready on the day of the appointment.

Please note that there are very limited resources in the archive.  For example, if a researcher wants scans of photographs, the researcher should bring his/her own laptop computer and scanner to the archive.  There is a photocopier downstairs in the library which may be used for a per-copy fee.

Stuart works in the ERCA by himself on a part-time basis.  His is a full-time college professor.

Dr. Stuart McGehee (Pronounced "McGee").

On the day we visited the ERCA, we found Alex P. Schust looking through files of Coalwood photos
for his new book Coalwood, scheduled for publication in 2007.

Stuart and Alex are discussing the Coalwood photos.  If you look on the glass cabinet behind
Alex, you will see the laptop and scanner he brought with him.

Alex and Stuart again.  Note the large books on the floor behind Stuart.  These are
the old Olga Coal Company records donated by LTV to the ERCA in 1991.

The Olga records.

The Olga records.

The reading room is packed with coal memorabilia.

Miners' tags.

The rest of the ERCA houses most of the archives.

For a list of the materials housed in the ERCA, please see this page:
http://craftmemorial.lib.wv.us/coal.htm

Craft Memorial Library