In the southern part of Huntington
county between the small towns of Coalmont and Dudley, there is a set
of coke ovens and remnants of a mining operation. Minersville was
founded in 1875 and quickly burnt out like so many others of it's
era. Only part of this historic area is accessible via State Game Lands, the other part is noticeably posted as private land.
We parked our car and set out to
explore the area. The Michell and Beehive ovens were easily seen even
with mother nature reclaiming them. Some of the ovens were fallen in,
but most were still in decent shape. At one time over 150 ovens were
in operation. Upon closer observation we found a few foundations to
buildings. From the road we could see the remains of a tipple and
concrete structures; however, the land they are on is posted.
Heading east from Coalmont along Route
913 about one mile the road leading to the State Game Lands and
Minersville is not marked and is simply a right turn onto a dirt road
that leads to a bridge over Shoup Run. Please be mindful of the
private property.
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