Ken Mine Tipple
In 1946 and at the onset of Ken Coal Company, one of the first projects to be
started was the Ken Mine Tipple. On a smaller scale, at first, but with room to
expand and expand it did. The small tipple, at first, was continually being made
larger and after just a few years, the tipple became a modern coal prep plant.
In 1947, the first produced coal left the tipple on the way to market. Several
hoppers for train car loading were built and a separate hopper for trucks supplied
the needs for shipment of coal by trucks, as well as for the miners and local
residents. Until the early sixties, most of the homes in the Rockport and Echols
area were heated with coal. The miners were able to use their pickup trucks to
provide coal for themselves and some of their kin and neighbors. Larger trucks
were also used for local coal delivery.
In 1950, Ken Mine had ten Dart trucks that hauled the coal from the two pit areas
and dumped it into a large hopper. The first haul trucks were in the 30 to 40
ton range. The coal them moved by conveyor up to the top of the McNally-Pittsburg
tipple where it was processed and loaded on rail cars. The tipple had the capability
of producing coal from 7" to 0 size. After the railroad cars were loaded, they
were manually given a push and rolled down to a Streeter Amet Scale system that
automatically weighted a half railroad car at a time. The railroad cars continued
rolling down to a staging area where they would eventually be picked up by the
I. C. Railroad.
In this time frame, Ken Mine president, Ken R. Bixby, had a total of 110 employees.
Mr. Bixby had been in the coal business all of his life. His coal "know-how" was
gained in the Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky coal fields. Coal
men acquainted with Bixby knew him to be an ardent baseball fan and fisherman-
"whenever he could find time."
Other key personnel included: Jim McDowell, superintendent; Howard Nunn, chief
engineer; Floyd Spriggs, master mechanic; Howard Lampson, 5561 pit foreman; and
Max Wasson, 350 pit foreman. McDowell had been in the coal business for 18 years.
The other company supervisors and foremen were also well qualified and experienced.
In 1950, a new 26'x 66'office building was completed. It was equipped with a modern
vault, finished in gravel redwood, had tile blocks on the ceilings, inlaid linoleum,
and the latest in furnishings and office equipment, with a Chrysler Air Temp Air
Conditioner. At the time, the home office of Ken Coal Company was 517 Bondi Building,
P. O. Box 70, Galesburg, Illinois.
:)
See you..........
jrd
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