Colmar, Kentucky
Bell County

"Silk Stocking Row"

Colmar Coal Camp, This camp was active from about 1910 until about 1952.  The coal company deducted rent, coal for heat, maintenance, the cost of a weekly doctor visit and other items directly from the miner's pay - helping to make them completely dependent upon the company.

Life in the coal camps was a very structured one. The camps were organized according to class. Those workers in supervisory positions lived in the better housing, and usually houses most near the entrance to the camp. This section was often referred to as "Silk Stocking Row." The above picture shows the "Silk Stocking Row" of the Southern Mining Company's camp at Colmar, Kentucky in the 1940-50 era