Petros and Morgan, TN County Flood, Mar 1902

STATE MINES DAMAGES
Petros, Morgan County, Tenn. March 31
The state mines located here, and the property of the Crooked Fork coal and Coke Company and of the Harriman northeastern railroad, are damaged about $5,000 Some private individuals also sustained a loss Tesia mines are closed until the damage can be repaired The Petros bridge of the Harriman and Northeastern railroad and another bridge below here were lost The Crooked Fork companies and states railroad yards were damaged so that mine operations had to be suspended A number of the convicts from the branch prison were put to work this morning repairing railroad tracts and rebulding bridgesRichard May and family had a narrow escape from being drowned They were rescued from their house after being surrounded by water.The commissioners are at Chattanooga today and will reach here as soon as possible, probably tomorrow night. The telegraph and telephone lines were cut down Friday when the heavy rain began here They were not in working order until this morning, when the first news was sent to the outside world Crooked Fork creek one of the chief tributaries to the Emery river, Friday and Saturday was about five feet higher than ever known before The flood did abut $100,000 damage in Morgan county exclusive of that at Petros Farms and fencing were badly washed and the county sustained about $20,000 damage to bridges and roads. At Wolf creek a drummer named Brown whose Christian name cannot be learned was drowned Friday morning The body was recovered and was buried Sunday This is the only fatality reported in this section as a result of the flood

December, 1954

According to Mr.Edgar Cheeley,Mine Supt.,the Mallan-Ellison Coal Corp.will suspend operation Dec. 31, 1954.This is Morgan County’s largest industry and according to Mr. Cheeley, no plans to continue operation have been made.At peak employment ,the mine worked around 157 men and had an annual payroll of about $750,000 The mines are located at the head of Emory River in the Ninth Civil District of Morgan County.  Mr. Cheeley stated that if they could just get fifty cents more on the ton, they could still operate. 
[Morgan County News dated, 12/23/1954]

June 29, 1961

TWO MORGAN COUNTY MINERS INJURED 
IN CAVE-IN OF FORK MOUNTAIN MINE 
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1 MINER STILL EMTOMBED 
RESCUE WORK CONTINUES 
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Three of the eight man crew, THURMAN CARROLL, BILL ROSE and GEO.E. ERWIN who with his father, RAYMOND ERWIN, operated the mine, escaped with only minor injuries, and two, CLAUDE WOODS and his son, ROBERT WOODS, were rescued.CLAUDE WOODS, 46 received a pelvic injury and his son ROBERT, age 19, could be rescued only after his right arm had been amputated.The bodies of Charles Kennedy, 28 and Herley Carroll, 18 were later recovered.  The body of Charles Seiber was recovered about 8 days later.

November 2, 1916

Petition in bankruptcy was filed in the United States District Court at Knoxville,October 26, 1916, by the Petros Coal Company.  The unsecured indebtedness was reported at $36,230.85, with assets of $31,377.  Of the indebtedness, $32,000 is reported as due.  Henry M WINSLOW, treasurer, said to represent money loaned.  The company’s plant is located at Petros.

August, 1916

Mr. R. A. DAVIS, Clerk and Master of the Chancery Court went over to Petros Saturday and sold the property of the Petros Coal & Mining Co. under a decree issued by the court.The property brought $5000 and was purchased by James E. RHODES, trustee.One fifth of the purchase price was paid into court at the close of the sale.This is a new mine with fine steam coal.

The Fodder Stack and Coal Company was organized at Petros Monday for the  purpose of taking over the property of the Petros Coal Mining Company, purchased bat  the Court sale last week by J.E. RHODES, Trustee. The company was organized with J.E. RHODES President, and general manager,J.M. DAVIS vice president, Frank SCHUBERT treasurer and C.H. DAVIS secretary. The mine will be operated under the management of J.E. RHODES with A.W.EVANS as mine supt. This is practically a new mine and some fine rich veins have been opened.The present output is seven cars per day which will be materially increased in the near future.

1917

Dec 1917 - 93 years ago a unit of the Fourth Tennessee National Guard was organized in Petros. In December of 1917, just before the United States entered World War I Capt. JW Brownlee of Knoxville  came to Petros and organized a guard unit.

1894

1894 - The Tennessee General Assembly voted to construct two state prisons and end the practice of leasing convicts for private labor. In 1894, the state acquired over nine thousand acres for the construction of the remote Brushy Mountain State Prison in Petros. An additional 4000 acres were added later. Inmates would mine coal and then cut timber from the state's holdings for use in large brick ovens to turn the Tennessee coal into "coke," a carbonaceous residue used as fuel

Remember the blizzard of 93

I remember that it was real warm the day before.We though the weather people were full of it . The next day you could not see anything but snow the cars were covered. It was the most snow that I had ever seen and have not seen that much in a long time. What do you remember?