During the late 1800's coal was accidentally discovered in Bridgeport, Wise County, Texas while drilling for water. Initially the Wise County Coal Company was formed and mining began which helped boost the population and wealth of the area. Later the company was bought out and renamed the Bridgeport Coal Company. Today, there are still existing remnants of some of the many coal mines that were dug around the area.

In the 1880s and 1890s two railroads were built through the county—the Fort Worth and Denver City, which passed through Decatur, and the Rock Island, which crossed the western section of the county through Bridgeport. The railroads stimulated the economy and made the production of coal in Bridgeport and of cotton, wheat, and beef in eastern Wise County more profitable.

The population increased steadily and reached the highest point in county history in 1900 at a total of 27,116. Bridgeport's large coal reserves supplied fuel for most of the region until 1910, when the Lone Star Gas Company offered residents an alternative energy source with the completion of a natural gas pipeline.

Coal is formed where plant remains were deposited between layers of rock and preserved by water and mud from biodegrading. In Texas, this occurred mainly during the Pennsylvanian Period from 284 to 320 million years ago when the formation of rocks occurred during times of alternating land and sea. When the sea was out, the low coastal plains were covered with luxuriant forests of seed ferns, ferns, scale trees, calamite trees, and cordaite trees. During times of heavy rainfall, thick accumulations of plant debris (peat) were deposited, which later became the coal.

Today we use the term "coal" to describe a variety of fossilized plant materials, but no two coals are exactly alike. Coal is classified into four general categories, or "ranks." They range from lignite through subbituminous and bituminous to anthracite, reflecting the progressive response of individual deposits of coal to increasing heat and pressure. Bituminous coal, the most plentiful form of coal in the United States, is found in north central Texas in Pennsylvanian rocks in Coleman, Eastland, Erath, Jack, McCulloch, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Wise, Young, and other counties.

In coal mining operations, there are four main types of mines: shaft mine, slope mine, drift mine, and surface (open-cast) mine.



Shaft Mine
A mine opening is made by sinking a shaft down to the elevation of the coal seam. Mining is conducted using typically either longwall mining or room and pillar mining with continuous mining equipment. Coal is transported to the surface by a skip hoist. This is the most expensive type of underground mine to build and operate. This method of mining coal is usually utilized when the coal seam is deep below the surface.

Slope Mine
A mine opening is made by tunneling from the surface down to the elevation of the coal seam. Mining is conducted using typically either longwall mining or room and pillar mining with continuous mining equipment. Coal is transported to the surface by conveyor belts. This method of mining coal is usually utilized when the coal seam is not far from the surface, and the outcrop of the coal seam is not exposed.

Drift Mine
A mine opening is made at the same elevation as the coal's seam and mining is conducted using typically either longwall mining or room and pillar mining with continuous mining equipment. This method of mining is used when the coal seam outcrops at the surface, or when a bench has to be constructed on a mountain side to mine the coal.

Surface (open-cast)Mine
The Contour or Bench method of surface or strip mining is where a seam or multiple seams are located at a certain elevation or elevations through a mountain or hill. Contour mining allows for the extraction of coal from mountainous areas, where it is not feasible to extract the entire seam, using mountain top removal mining. Open pit mining is an excavation or cut made at the surface of the ground and is open to the surface for the duration of the mine’s life.



To claim this EarthCache, proceed to Stage I and perform these tasks:

1. Take a picture of yourself with your GPS unit in front of this historical marker.

2. While facing the historical marker, determine the coordinates to stage II by answering this question:

What is the direction of the playground?

     A. To your right - N33° 12.498 W097° 45.422
     B. To your left - N33° 12.618 W097° 45.787
     C. Directly behind you - N33° 12.337 W097° 45.653

Standing about 6' in front of the marker, squat down and look directly over the top of the playground equipment and about 1000' away you can see the coal mine entrance.

When you arrive at the correct Stage II location, there is a walking path beside the fence that leads to a set of stairsteps and the coal mine entrance. Be sure and look just down the hill from the mine entrance at the old coal rail cart. From here, perform these tasks:

1. Take a picture of yourself with your GPS unit in front of the coal mine entrance.

2. Answer these questions:

     a. What type of coal was mined in Bridgeport
     b. What type of mine entrance is this?
     c. How many stair steps lead down to entrance?

3. Post BOTH pictureswith your Found It log.

4. Email your answers to the 3 questions in order receive credit and claim the find. Sending a message through any format is not acceptable.

Please understand these are the requirements for claiming this EarthCache and incomplete answers may be subject to deletion. Also you would really be helping the city and the sport of geocaching in general if you were to pick up any trash that may have been left at the mine site by some other inconsiderate visitors.

Do not message me with answers.