Major W. P. Tams, Jr. Transcript of an Interview, 1825-1934 , A&M 2584

West Virginia and Regional History Center

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Staff of the West Virginia & Regional History Center

Abstract

Transcript of an interview by Richard Hadsell with Major W.P. Tams, Jr., former mine operator in the Winding Gulf coal mining region. Tams discusses his early days in coal mining, the opening of the Kanawha coal region, and coal operators and union officials such as: E.J. Berwind, Joe Beury, George Collins, Jarius Collins, Justus Collins, John J. Cornwell, Samuel Dixon, Elias Hatfield, Troy Hatfield, Isaac Mann, S.T. Patterson, J.A. Renahan, James O. Watts, and George Wolfe. Other individuals mentioned include: Henry D. Hatfield, John L. Lewis, John Mitchell, Fred Mooney, Bob Patterson, and "Mother" Mary Jones. Tams also discusses the Winding Gulf Collieries, the Beaver Coal Co., the Smokeless Coal Field, the N&W Railroad, the C&O Railroad, the Virginian Railroad, Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, unions and strikes, racial relations, blacks, scrip, company stores, Atwater, and Castner, Curran and Bullitt.

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Preferred Citation

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Major W. P. Tams, Jr. Transcript of an Interview, A&M 2584, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

African-Americans. SEE ALSO Coal miners - African Americans.
Atwater.
Baldwin-Felts Detective Inc.
Beaver Coal Company
Berwind, E.J.
Beury, Joe.
Beury, Joseph L.
Caster, Curran and Bullitt
Coal - Smokeless Coal Fields.
Coal companies - Beaver Coal Company.
Coal companies - Smokeless Coal Fields.
Coal mining - Beaver Coal Company.
Coal mining - Labor organization.
Coal mining - Scrip.
Coal mining - coal companies.
Coal mining - company stores.
Coal mining -- Strikes
Coal mining.
Coal trade
Collins, George.
Collins, Jarius.
Collins, Justus, 1857-1934
Cornwell, John J. (John Jacob), 1867-1953
Dixon, Samuel.
Hadsell, Richard.
Hatfield, Elias.
Hatfield, Henry Drury, 1875-1962
Hatfield, Troy.
Jones, Mary.
Kanawha Valley.
Lewis, John L. (John Llewellyn), 1880-1969
Mann, Isaac T. (Isaac Thomas), 1864-1932
Mitchell, John.
Mooney, Fred, 1888-1952
N&W Railroads - railroads.
Patterson, Bob.
Patterson, S.T.
Railroads
Railroads - Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad.
Railroads - Norfolk and Western Railroad.
Renahan, J.A.
Scrip.
Smokeless Coal Fields - coal.
Strikes and lockouts
Tams, W. P., Jr. (William Purviance), 1883-1977
Union names.
Unions -- Coal
Unions. SEE ALSO Labor organization.
Virginian Railroad -- Railroads
Virginian Railroad -- Railroads
Watts, James O.
Winding Gulf Collieries
Wolfe, George.

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

Berwind, E.J.
Beury, Joe.
Beury, Joseph L.
Collins, George.
Collins, Jarius.
Collins, Justus, 1857-1934
Cornwell, John J. (John Jacob), 1867-1953
Dixon, Samuel.
Hadsell, Richard.
Hatfield, Elias.
Hatfield, Henry Drury, 1875-1962
Hatfield, Troy.
Jones, Mary.
Lewis, John L. (John Llewellyn), 1880-1969
Mann, Isaac T. (Isaac Thomas), 1864-1932
Mitchell, John.
Mooney, Fred, 1888-1952
Patterson, Bob.
Patterson, S.T.
Renahan, J.A.
Tams, W. P., Jr. (William Purviance), 1883-1977
Watts, James O.
Wolfe, George.