Marker Inscription
Two hundred yards southeast of this site, at the base of the hill and at a depth of 65 feet, the first coal mine in this area was placed in operation by brothers William W. and Harvey E. Johnson. After Harvey's death in 1888, and because of labor and financial difficulties, William Johnson sold his mining interest to R. D. Hunter's Texas and Pacific Coal Company. Railroads provided a ready market for coal, and the company town of Thurber (named for investor H. K. Thurber) became completely unionized after a 1903 strike. The company employed 2,500 miners of 18 nationalities. (1995)
About this site
Thurber's First Coal Mine, Site of is a historical marker in Thurber, Erath County, dedicated in 1994. It is one of 71 historical markers documented in Erath County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 144 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 32.5068, -98.4149 near Thurber. The nearest cataloged historic site is New York Hill (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Saint Barbara's Catholic Church, Thurber Brick Plant, Site of, and Whitehead Cemetery.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5143004903. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
