Was just there and surprised about the comparisons between the Pittsburg KS and Pittsburgh PA which were both built by immigrant coal miners from Eastern Europe.
Well documented in the ATSF (South Kansas Division), MoP and SLSF corporate histories…Then wander over to Joplin and see a different type of mining/industrial activity.(Adding MKT to the mix) Busy places 100 years ago. All those towns shrunk in the 80’s and are slowly coming back.
Assume “Big Ben” is still there.
Make that " BIG BRUTUS" and you are correct…near West Mineral, Ks.
SEE LINK @ http://www.kansastravel.org/bigbrutus.htm
[One could get a ‘TWOfer’ at nearby Scammon,Ks with a visit to Hearl of the Heartland RR Museum @ Carona, Ks.]
See @ http://www.kansastravel.org/caronamuseum.htm
That area of Southeast Kansas hosted what was known as the Weir-Pittsburg Coal Field.
AS mentioned, the one time AT&SF Div.[Went thru several name designations] Ran from Chanute to Erie, and across to Frontenac,ks and then to Pittsburg and finally to Jopplin,Mo. This line intersected the SE Kansas oil fields around Shaw and Erie. It[Great Western Oil Redinery] was started in 1905, and lasted into the 1930’s. At one point, on the then Eastern Branch of the AT&SF. It hosted a refinery at Shaw,[ a kerosene refinery] and the Shaw Automobile factory, and at Erie,Ks. [The Great Western Oil Refinery] which was a fairly large faciity; had its own railyard of approx 6 tracks, and had a fleet of, over 100 tank, and boxcars for its product distribution. There were also Coal mines around Frontenac,Ks that provided locomotive coal. That line also had daily locals (E &W), and was also serviced by one of the first ‘DoodleBugs’ on the AT&SF [McKeen Car 103], which ran from Pittsburg via Chanute, and on to Topeka, Ks.
The Weir-Pittsburg Coal Field was not a solid vein, its coal was contained in a random pattern of ‘pockets’; it required shall
What is the economy and population of the area now, and what railroads remaini?
Dave Kepper; If you will permit me a somewhat personally subjective response to your question.
The area of Southeast Kansas roughly comprises an approximate area of about 9 counties (Kansas has a total of 108 counties.).
Currently, the whole area could be considered to be agricultural, in make-up ( Live stock production, ‘ranching’; land tillage is hampered, somewhat, by a light soil, over a rocky subsoil. where row cropping is practiced; various grains, corn, and a growing, and cotton crops are gaining share of producing lands.
Coal mining has almost completely disappeared, as have the areas of Lead and Zinc mining. Other mineral production is limited; Sand is moved in from the Wichita area, and Oklahoma. Limestone(?) rock is mined to refine, and produce cement. Crushed rock at a number of quaries in the area.
Some manufacturing plantsd are scattered about the area; The current major railroads in the area are the UPRR (operates over the former MKT RR lines south of Kansasd City. The KCS RR operates south from KansasCity via a large yard and facility at Pittsburg,Ks. and South into Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. The BNSF operates in a pattern of lines (southeast,south, and southwest) from major yards and terminal in Kansas City area)
From Pittsbur
Thanks. Glad to know that loss of mining has, at least in part, been compensated by agricultural prosperity.