Simply explained; “The coking process consists of heating coal in the absence of air to drive off the volatile compounds; the resulting coke is a hard, but porous carbon material that is used for reducing the iron in the blast furnace”

I, however, relate better to the explanation used in the movie “October Sky” When confronted by his teenage son about why his father desired to be a coal miner, he replied “You listen here!, The coal we mine makes steel, and if steel fails this country fails. If you had half a brain in your head you’d know that!”

Coking was hot, hellish, backbreaking work. At the time, the choice was work in the mines, or the coke ovens.

The local mines and coke ovens employed many European immigrants, who left their homeland to come to America, and a better way of life. Still today, many area residents can trace their ancestry to these resourceful people.

These people came to America with a promise to apply their great work ethic. While the men were working the coal, the women, among their many chores, did their daily battle with the coal dust that found its way into every opening in the house. Families lived meager lives in the early days, but they were close knit.

Early in the century, immigration reached its peak. Some companies held classes in Americanization. The miners were taught English, American History, writing etc., to make it easier to obtain citizenship papers.