The Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine was the first of its kind in the United States, showcasing the wonders of this little black rock to the general public, along with the advanced mining equipment by which the material was procured. According to locals, Jordan Nelson, a farmer and blacksmith, discovered the deposit entirely by accident. While retrieving a lost cow, Nelson found a peculiar material on his property which he presumed was tar. But when the substance was heated, rather than melting, it glowed, and Nelson recognized it as coal. Beyond…
