1930 Census – Images and information on Bonny Blue, VA
I found more information and photos to give an idea of what Bonny Blue was like.
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~duncanrw/morebonniebluephotos.html
These photos are of Bonnie Blue in the 1923-1927 time frame. They were provided by Mary South, who is a descendant of the office manager of the coal company. She also he said he was the post master at Bonny Blue for 12 years. His name was Nathan E. Greear, Sr.
A photo of Nathan Ellington Greear, Jr. (1921-1952). The photo was taken in April 1923. The notation of the back of the photo reads “Coal Co. house in Bonny Blue, VA. Waiting for our house to be built.”
Note: this is a child of an affluent family, the son the coal company office manager. They were living in camp houses while their company house was being built. This picture is important because it shows the houses and boards on the ground to walk on because of the mud. That’s what life was like the the miners and their families. Shacks with no bathroom surrounded by mud.
2. A photo of Bonnie Blue
Picture of the coal office taken November 1927. The men are (L-R) Harry Dillard, Clerk; Nathan E. Greear, Sr., Mgr.; Henry Nolan, RR conductor. The calendar in the background is from the Bank of St. Charles.
A photo of the Bonny Blue coal tipple
A photo of one of the Blue Diamond mine’s entrance in Bonny Blue.
Pictures of Bonny Blue now. From coalcampusa.com
These homes built by Blue Diamond Coal Company are all that remains of Bonny Blue, Lee County, Virginia. Bonny Blue is described in Rex Bowman’s “Blue Ridge Chronicles” as “… a string of small homes along a band of asphalt that quickly turns into two muddy ruts. Dogs, chickens and cats wander across the small yards in front of the houses and along a shallow creek that runs through the hollow. Bits of rusting iron scraps litter the landscape.”
More picture of Bonny Blue today from http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~duncanrw/bonnieblue.html
Bonny Blue road sign
C. J. Poe General Store Building
The coal company security checkpoint. I have been told that in the old days, one could go as far as the coal processor shown in the upper left of the photo.
A coal loader at Bonny Blue
Dec 17, 2012 @ 12:27:58
I found a nickel -sized token from this coal company,good for 10 cents I think. I live in Ft. Worth , Tx. How it got here I’ll never know! Do you have a museum or something that I can send it to? Thank you, Kent
Dec 17, 2012 @ 16:35:34
Kent — I am moving to that area and planning to visit coal company museums as soon as I get settled to do research. If you’re comfortable with the idea, you could mail the token to me and I would turn it over to the appropriate museum.
May 10, 2013 @ 21:47:18
I’m hoping to find any information about my mother living there, she was born in 1929 and lived there most of her years growing up, I visited the town as a young boy, my mothers name was margret Lucille fink any help would be fantastic, and I enjoy seeing the pictures on here, thank you Wayne England
Apr 10, 2014 @ 08:04:45
My grandpa Jessie McAlister work in bonny Blue Va i’m not sure when all i know was my dad was 8 years old when grandpa McAlister past away i have a picture of my grandpa and grandma with their kid’s i think it had to be in Bonny Blue Va my grandma Mae Collins re married later on to Rossco Collins she lived behind St. Charles school across the creek next to the wooding bridge she past away too i was wondering does anyone remember them if so i’m on Facebook under SouthernHarley46@yahoo.com thanks for reading.
Oct 06, 2014 @ 23:07:23
My dad, Bill Parrott & family lived on top of the mountain in Bonny Blue….my dad was not only a coal miner, but the coal company paid him to live there because he was responsible to transport the miners up the mountain to the mines on the (mancar) everyday….therefore my sisters, brother Wayne & I had to ride up & down that mountain to go to school…we had a very modest house & of course all the pastors & evangelist (Church of God St. Charles) would come to our house to experience the mancar ride up the mountain….we were the first to get a TV & of course we got good reception because of being up so high…we even had newspaper reporters come to our house to see their first TV…..we moved to Big Stone Gap in 1955….lots of great memories made there….
Dec 28, 2015 @ 14:27:46
My Mom was born in Bonny Blue in August 1939. My Pappaw Rev. Emmitt Richardson worked in the coal mine and was a Church of God minister. He passed away in May 2004. He was 95.
Apr 07, 2015 @ 12:34:29
I was wonder if anyone you may know has a picture of Bonny Blue’s elementary school house? I would like a copy if possible.
Roy Chestnut
Apr 19, 2015 @ 10:10:15
Sorry I can’t be of any help, but I hope somebody else might.
Apr 19, 2015 @ 11:06:03
My grandpa Samual Whitworth worked at the mine in Bonnie Blue. On the back of a piece of furniture it says Smith Furniture Co. and made for Blue Diamond Coal mine. Does anyone have info on why these were made? and How did my grandpa end up with this?
May 03, 2015 @ 12:49:48
I visited Bonny Blue one time fro El Paso , Texas with my mother Dora Massingale we wanted to go in and take some picture and just look around and remember when and they would not let us in I thought that was terriable and would have written to the company if I had know where to write we moved to New Mexico from Pennington when I was fourteen and that was the only time I had gotten to return my dad worked at Bonny Blue from 1035 until we moved I think in 1946 his name was Hugh David Massingale had lots of friends that he stayed in touch with for years wonder if any of their children are still living? We lived in the camp then to Poor Vally one and two then built a house in Pennington and lived there until moving to New Mexico my mothers sister was Mrs.Pat(Ann) Gibson of Dryden, Va.
Jul 24, 2015 @ 10:42:08
My grandmother Sylvia Marie King was born in Bonny Blue on Nov. 30th 1930 to Albert King and Reesa Goins King (she was half Cherokee ). Her twin sister Maudie May died the day they were born. She had an older brother named Elbert, but I’m not sure of his birthdate. I was told that Elbert still lives in Bonny Blue at the old home place. He would be either close to or already 90 by now if he is still alive. My granny passed away in 1986. My dad and his brothers and sisters, cousins and myself would love to meet uncle Elbert or find out anything about him . We would also like to know more about great grandpa King. What we do know of him is very sketchy. His parents were John King and Sylvia Crawford . His DOB was 6/14/1883 and DOD was 12/26/1958. It was told to us that great grandpa was a huge man, standing almost 7 feet tall with the brightest red hair. Some family say he worked in the mines, others say he was a moonshiner. I just don’t know, but really want to know more about my family history. If anyone has any information about Grandpa or Grandma King or Elbert, please let me know. Any little tid bit would be greatly appreciated.
Mar 01, 2017 @ 09:18:03
My grandfather (b. 1935 in Bonny Blue) lived in Bonny Blue from the mid- to late-1920s to sometime in the 1940s, when they moved to Detroit. However, my grandfather’s family was originally from Scott County, Tennessee, and my 3rd great-grandmother on that line was Lucinda Goins, who married Jacob Matthew Yaden/Yadon. Lucinda Goins was the daughter of Nancy Dixon/Dickson and her first husband Uriah Goins (her second husband was also named Uriah Goins). She was from born in Goin, Claiborne County, Tennessee. With the name Goins (also spelled Goin, Goings), you may want to look in that area in Tennessee. I don’t know of any Reesa or Elbert Goins in my tree on that line, but I know that there were many of them in that area of Tennessee at that time.
Dec 16, 2015 @ 09:49:42
I lived in bonny blue in 1951 to about 1956 when we moved to pa. My grandmother work for dr.gaberial that lived up the rd near the entrance of the mine. Dad was Charles and Ruby styer. My name is jim and brother is terry. Trying to find were my grandfather is buried. His name was Thompson and and his wife was odessa Thompson any information would be appreciated. Thanks jim styer. Jwstyer@gmail.com
Feb 28, 2017 @ 14:56:36
Jimmy:
This is your cousin Tommy Thompson, haven’t heard from you guys in a while. I was happy to see your name and overwhelmed at the same time. I tried going back to Bonny Blue about 25 years ago, but the week I was there were heavy rains, strong winds and where I stopped to eat advised me not to try and go up the hollers. I one day would love to revisit my birth place. June 15, 1950 and as you Dr. Gaberial was the doctor that delivered me as well. I hope this reaches you. I did email you at your above email address, hope to hear from you.
May 12, 2016 @ 19:05:32
My mother was born in Bonny Blue Dec 25,1927. My grandfather worked the mines from 1925-1928. I drove up there April 2016, got within 1/4 mile of the old town. All security fences with cameras now. I so hoped I could see where my mother was born on that mountain.
Dec 27, 2016 @ 16:20:41
My brother Michael R. Barwick and I were born there. He was born in 1939 and I in 1941.
Our dad , Walter Raymond Barwick, had to report to the Navy soon after December 7,
1941.
In 1995, the three of us drove from Lexington, hoping to find the house where us two boys are born. We could not pass the guard at the gate.
Another small coal town we lived in after the war, Calvin, VA was stripped away.
Woody J. Barwick
Jan 02, 2017 @ 13:16:36
My Grandfather mined the blue Diamond and they lived in St Charles. GORDON HARRIS. I can remember grandpa coming home black as coal wanting corn bread and buttermilk. My grandma Laura Harris would walk along the tracks and gather coal for the stove.
Apr 15, 2017 @ 13:49:39
I have a picture made in 1930’s or 1940’s of the Bonnie Blue Boarding House in Lee County Va
or in Bonnie Blue St Charles Va.
Standing on the steps are Sam Estep & Frank Estep Frank’s wife Ludaveve Parson
also other that I do not know.
Dec 06, 2017 @ 18:47:09
I was born in Bonny Blue in 1936. Dr Henderson was the Dr. that delivered me, at home. My Dad was Edd Beason. Daddy worked in 2 ft. coal. I have many pictures of the housing there also of the tipple and commissary etc. I would like to give them to a museum or copies of them. Daddy worked for the Blue Diamond Coal Co. and we lived in a holler called Jacks Branch. We actually had a good life. Momma made a garden behind the house and Daddy had 12 hives of honey bees, He sold honey to the neighbors I guess for extra money. Sweet memories.
Dec 07, 2017 @ 13:04:36
You’re lucky to have sweet memories. I wouldn’t give the pictures to a museum, but allow them to scan them. They sound like something that should be kept in the family.
Jan 05, 2018 @ 10:54:51
I was born and grew up in Pot Branch Hollow. My dad worked in the mine at Bonny Blue and after the mine shut down he worked as night watchman at the Mayflower Tipple for a year or two. The mining company provided housing for a lot of employees and also employed a doctor to provide medical care for the employees. That company also had stores where the employees spent there hard earned wages and if the employee chose to take his wages in company script, he could get extra credit at the company store.
Jan 14, 2018 @ 11:30:59
My father-in-law Jim Jessee was born in St Charles and his dad Leonard “letch”Jessee is buried in a small cemetery on Bonnie Blue Rd. Could not find as access is denied by gate. Does anyone know the exact location of this small cemetery and its name? pics?
Jan 14, 2018 @ 19:49:01
My father, Paul Jefferson Whisenant was born in Bonny Blue in 1926. His mother was told to be Minnie Watson who also had sons Charlie (died in a roofing accident) and James. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Feb 07, 2018 @ 12:57:18
Hi. Barbara I was born in Bonnie Blue 1937 my dad was Claude Leslie who worked in the mine until 1952 before moving to Ohio. We also lived inPoorValley,Turner Siding.I would love to have copies of any pictures you have of Bonnie Blue also anyone else who have pictures I would pay for copying and mailing cost.Frank Leslie 2/7/18
Feb 14, 2018 @ 19:11:12
Mr Leslie, Thank you for the reply. I would love to share the pictures with you. If you would supply me with an E-Mail address I could scan the pics I have and send them to you. I have one large pic of all the miners setting down with their lunch buckets. the pic is a 19″ long 8″ wide. The writing on the corner says Blue Diamond Coal Co. Bonny Blue Va. June 19, 1940 No. 3 Butt Day Crew. Otherwise if you want a hard copy I will need an address to send them to you. Thank you Barbara Beason Pickering, Kingston Tn.