GC3EWWR Sinking Mine- Midlothian Mine History Series (Traditional Cache) in Virginia, United States created by altbiers

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offline.cacher: No response from CO

GC3EWWR ▼

A cache by altbiers Message this owner

Hidden : 3/18/2012

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

The Sinking Shaft- The year 1865
This wasnt the end of the mining in Midlothian, but it's financial failure took down the largest mining operation in the area.

Sinking Shaft

Historical notes: In about 1865 an 8-by l4-foot shaft was dug by Col. George Wooldridge who was in charge of the Midlothian Coal Mining and Manufacturing Company.
The company borrowed $180,000 from Mr. Burrows of Albion, New York, to dig the shaft. The shaft was dug to a depth of 1015 feet and a hole was drilled an additional 322 feet without encountering coal.
The superintendent was killed during this operation. Because of the outlay of money with no return, the Midlothian Coal Mining and Manufacturing Company property was sold at public auction in 1869.
Another unsuccessful attempt was made in 1874 to discover coal in this shaft.

References: Russell (1892), Schmitz ( 1895), Shaler and Woodworth ( l899), Woodworth ( 1902), d'Invilliers (1904), Jones (1916), Wadleigh (1934)

2012

As with a lot of shafts in this area, they eventually fill up with water. It appears a land owner converted the shaft into a pond by building the earth dam to retain more water.

Just west of here is another pond and there is an odd wooden structure in the pond, I am trying to figure out what it is, but definitely fits the era the mine was dug. I believe that area was the culliary of the mine