Diamondville’s United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) local 1307 in District 22 is the oldest actively coal-producing local in the union, having produced coal for over 110 years and still producing coal today. Multiple generations have worked in the mines, and more recently, in the coal-fired Naughton power plant built in the 1970s.
By 2028, Naughton is slated to close and transition from coal to a Natrium reactor nuclear power plant, a project of the Bill Gates-backed TerraPower.
This transition holds many unknown consequences for the coal workers these towns.
“What happens when the coal’s gone? Will people remember us?”
He laid the objects thoughtfully on top of the three card tables in his garage, a showcase of coveted and kept personal history of his family’s deep connection with the town, and with coal. Frank Scigliano is a third generation Italian-American and member of a multigenerational lineage who originally emigrated to Kemmerer-Diamondville to work in the local mines. His grandfather worked the mines, his father was killed in the mines and he continued that labor tradition until he retired twenty some-odd years ago. He now spends his time attending high school sports games and regularly attends the local historical society’s meetings at the public library.
Frank ran his fingers along the black and white photographs and slightly bent miners’ tags, recounting personal vignettes of each object. Excitedly, he shared their provenance while weaving in longer narratives of ethnic social clubs, horrific mine disasters, the power of the United Mine Workers of America union, and the mining heritage of this place he calls home. He paused in his storytelling, a contemplative look on his face, and he quietly asked us, “What’s going to happen when the coal’s gone? Are people going to remember us?”
As we continue to transition from fossil fuels, how can we remember and honor coal labor? From the immigrants who pulled coal from the earth to the unions that fought for equitable pay, benefits and safety.
“Objects, when interpreted and contextualized, carry great power in directing what is remembered and forgotten.”
Memory making is a social practice that links people and things together across time and space. The exploration of human history through objects is memory work. Memories are made, not simply experienced, and material objects can hold that memory and lay foundation for cultural heritage.
Next, you will find six objects. Each is an entry point into into the cultural heritage of the coal towns of Kemmerer-Diamondville. Click on the object to tour these histories and listen to the voices of community members.
“ These relationships [to the past] are characterized by attachment to select objects, places and practices that are thought to connect with or exemplify the past in some way”
Below you’ll find a full gallery of all objects featured throughout this site. Explore the pathways above to learn more about them.
