The Glen White Coke Works were operated by the Glen White Coal and Lumber Company. The earliest mention I have found comes from the 1880-1881 Bureau Of Industrial Statistics Report. This early report places the number of ovens at 80 and the production of coke for the year at 32,402 tons. The company was based in Baltimore and by 1919 employed 138 men as well as 25 boys under the age of 16. The company also built housing and created the town of Glen White. The town reached its peak in the 1920's with nearly 200 residents. The coke ovens were abandoned by the 1930's but the mines remained in operation through the early 1940's.
Today the town of Glen White is long gone but the coke ovens remain. The site is located about one mile west of the famous Horseshoe Curve. The ovens are in better condition than a lot I have found. The fronts of the ovens are almost all intact and the woods in the area are pretty easy to walk through. There is also some old stone walls along Glenwhite Run.
 |
| Approaching the coke ovens. |
 |
| The fronts of some of these were in really great condition. |
 |
| Largely intact stonework. |
 |
| A couple of them were collapsed. |
 |
| This one is struggling to stay up. |
 |
| This big tree claimed this oven a long time ago. |
 |
| My friend Stevie D. on his first coke oven expedition. |
 |
| Looking up through the trunnel hole. |
 |
| Inside one of the ovens. |
 |
| Apparently there's not enough room in the woods for this tree. |
 |
| More intact stonework. |
 |
| Really nice door. |
 |
| Very nice front. |
Mike: Thank you for this excellent posting memorializing the Glen White beehive ovens!
ReplyDeleteAllen W. Hatheway
Rolla, MO
Author of "Remediation of Former Manufactured Gas Plants & Other Coal-Tar Sites" (2012)
Thank you for looking Dr. Hatheway. Your book looks interesting.
DeleteWhat about the Glen White Coal Mine? Is it still in existence? I would never go inside but I want to know if it's still accessible.
ReplyDeleteThe state of the ovens as of today is very poor, id like to learn more about them, the rail lines that ran past them, and the mine it's self.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to them? It wasn't even three years ago when I was there. They were in good shape then. Dig into it. I don't live out that way and rarely make it to the area. If you're around there start doing some research. I'd like to learn more about them too.
DeleteI have found the entrance to one of the mines today, it's on the upper end of glenwhite run, you can see the wood supportstove on the outside.
ReplyDeleteI wish I knew how to get to this place
ReplyDeleteIn 1905 there were 2 mine openings, Glen White No. 1 and No. 2. Glen White 1 shipped 2,574 tons of coal to market, 16,849 tons of coal was made into coke, 220 tons of coal was used at the mine for steam and heat. 137 miners worked both mines working 220 days for the year and they used 582 kegs of powder, 460 lbs. of dynamite, and 13 horses and mules. Glen White No. 2 shipped 22,330 tons of coal to market, 7,550 tons of coal were made into coke, and 723 tons of coal were used at the mine for steam and heat. The coal seam in Glen White 1 mine is 3 feet thick.-Taken from 1905 mine report.
ReplyDeleteThe 1905 report also says there are 90 coke ovens.
DeleteIs there a record of the miners who worked at Glen White? I think my husband's great grandfather worked there.
ReplyDeleteHi Sherry, not that I know of. Those type of records are very hard to find.
DeleteMy grandfather was born at Glen White, so thank you so much for this!
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic! I knew nothing of this until I met an older gentleman, Don, who sent me this link. Thank you for posting it, i hope to make a trek there to see it myself!
ReplyDeleteI'm writing a book about Glen White, could I use these pictures in it? I'll give you credit for them.
ReplyDeleteSure! Go ahead. Thanks!
Delete