• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds




Coal Creek Miners Museum has grand opening on March 11

Posted at 1:38 am March 3, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Coal-Creek-Miners-Museum

The Coal Creek Miners Museum in Rocky Top will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting on March 11.

The museum tells the story of the miners that lived, worked, and died in Coal Creek, Fraterville, and Briceville, and it also tells about the historically significant events that changed the mining industry, a press release said.

The grand opening is scheduled from 2-5 p.m. March 11 at the new museum, which is at 201 South Main Street in Rocky Top (formerly known as Lake City). The ribbon-cutting with the Rocky Top Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

Here is more information from a press release:

The story starts in the late 1800s when the “free” miners fought against the convict lease system, a struggle that ultimately ended the system in the southern states.

The story goes on to depict how these communities not only survived one mining disaster, but two that killed almost every man in the community along with many young boys.

Advertisement

“The story of this tenacious mining community reveals the courageous spirit of our forefathers,” said Tim Isbel, chairperson of the Coal Creek Miners Museum Board of Directors. “It was very important to the board and the volunteers involved in constructing this museum that it tell the unique and distinguishing story of these miners and this mining community.”

The museum was originally founded as part of the Tennessee Homecoming ‘86 Celebration, a year-long recognition of Tennessee’s history that encouraged local communities to celebrate their history. The museum has been moved to several different locations throughout the years. Its artifacts were most recently housed in a room in the city’s community center.

In August 2013, the Anderson County Commission voted to donate funds to the City of Lake City, now known as Rocky Top, to purchase a former bank building and transform it into a museum.

While seeking grant money to remodel the entire building, the Coal Creek Miners Museum Board of Directors and volunteers from the community started a grassroots effort to remodel the first floor and open phase one of the museum.

“All of the labor and funds to purchase supplies have been donated from the board members and the community,” Isbel said. “It has been wonderful to see how the community has supported this project.”

Advertisement

The plans for the second phase of the museum include installing an elevator to meet ADA requirements and remodeling the second floor for additional exhibit space.

“We would love for everyone to come and celebrate the grand opening of the museum,” Isbel said. “This museum is about the community, for the community so we want to the community to celebrate with us.

“The museum will be an economic driver for our town because there will also be visitor information on the area available and the interest in the history will attract people to the downtown through heritage tourism.”

Charles Winfrey, board member and resident historian, will be on hand to offer commentary on the displays and artifacts and live music will be performed that was specifically written about Coal Creek and the events depicted at the museum.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: Business, Community, Front Page News, Meetings and Events, Rocky Top Tagged With: Briceville, Charles Winfrey, Coal Creek, Coal Creek Miners' Museum, Fraterville, grand opening, Lake City, miners, mining, ribbon-cutting, Rocky Top, Rocky Top Chamber of Commerce, Tim Isbel

Advertisements

 

Join the club!

If you appreciate our work, please consider subscribing. Besides helping us, your subscription will give you access to our premium content.

Most of our stories are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our members—advertisers, subscribers, and sponsors.

But some are premium content, available only to members. Those are in-depth, investigative, or exclusive stories that are available only on Oak Ridge Today. They generally require at least four hours to report, write, and publish.

You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month.

You can read more about your options here.

We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers, and they include benefits.

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
  • Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content

Pro

  • Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month
  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here.

If you prefer to send a check for a subscription or donation, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support.

Commenting Guidelines

We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines:

1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address.
2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal.
3) Stick to the issues.
4) No profanity.
5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion.

More information is available here.

More Business News

Update on downtown Oak Ridge Tuesday

A city official will give an update on the proposed development of downtown Oak Ridge during a lunchtime meeting Tuesday. The presentation will be led by Wayne Blasius, director of the Oak Ridge Planning and … [Read More...]

CROET president tells Oak Ridge story on national podcast

Teresa Frady, president of the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee, is the Spotlight Interview guest on this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, which covers U.S. Department of … [Read More...]

Willow Ridge Garden Center named small business of month

  Willow Ridge Garden Center has been named the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce's Small Business of the Month for February 2022. The award is sponsored by Enrichment Federal Credit Union. Willow Ridge Garden Center is … [Read More...]

Frady named CROET president, CEO

Teresa Frady has been named president and chief executive officer of the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee. CROET is a regional economic development nonprofit organization that helps find new uses for … [Read More...]

3M expanding in Clinton

The 3M Company plans to expand in Clinton, investing about $470 million and adding around 600 new jobs by 2025, a press release said. The expansion was announced Thursday by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of … [Read More...]

More Business

More Community News

Update on downtown Oak Ridge Tuesday

A city official will give an update on the proposed development of downtown Oak Ridge during a lunchtime meeting Tuesday. The presentation will be led by Wayne Blasius, director of the Oak Ridge Planning and … [Read More...]

Experience world cultures at Children’s Museum International Festival

Flamenco, Irish, and Greek dancers will be among entertainers at the International Festival on Saturday, February 26, at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge. A special guest from Ireland, musician and singer Fionan Casey, … [Read More...]

Expungements to be discussed March 1

A partner in a Knoxville law firm will discuss conviction expungement during a virtual talk sponsored by an Oak Ridge organization March 1. The information about expungement will be presented by Wade V. Davies, … [Read More...]

Breakfast with Legislators on Feb. 28

The first Breakfast with the Legislators this year is scheduled for Monday morning, February 28. The breakfast will be virtual, and it scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. It has been organized by the League of Women … [Read More...]

Supreme Court justice to discuss WWII POWs

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee will discuss the compelling stories of five American soldiers captured and held as prisoners of war by the Germans during World War II during a lunchtime meeting next week, a … [Read More...]

More Community

Recent Posts

  • REAC/TS welcomes new team members: John Crapo, Josh Hayes and David Quillen
  • NASA Postdoctoral Program seeks early career and senior scientists for prestigious fellowships at its locations across the U.S.
  • ORAU names Brandon Criswell associate general counsel
  • Update on downtown Oak Ridge Tuesday
  • TVA has virtual open house for Clinch River Nuclear Site
  • Science and supercomputers at ORNL topic of Mar. 8 talk
  • First Presbyterian offers free meals & groceries on Mar. 10
  • Secret City Academy student charged with terrorism after alleged shooting, bomb threats
  • ORHS Masquers presents ‘Into the Woods’
  • Oak Ridge’s first girl Eagle Scout named a “Scout of the Year”

Search Oak Ridge Today

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2022 Oak Ridge Today