Plan of the Coal Mine Number 1581

Physical Description: 43.2 cm x 53.3 cm Paper, whiteline on black background Pieced together with tape

Scope and Content: Copy of a map that shows the extent of underground workings of coal mine 1581 located in Legal Subdivisions 5, 6, 11 and 12, Section 24, Township 9, Range 22, West of the 4th Meridian.

Physical Description: 43.2 cm x 53.3 cm Paper, whiteline on black background Pieced together with tape

History Biographical: Known as the Federal Mine, this mine produced 286,972 metric tonnes of coal during its existence. The J.J. Hamilton Coal Company received assistance from the Emergency Coal Production Board, a federal government agency established to increase production of coal during World War 2. The mine opened on 7 February 1942 on the former site of the Scroggins Mine, number 1092. The Scroggins Mine had been abandoned in 1925. The first job in the mine was to clear 49 metres of water and debris left from the Scroggins workings. In 1942 a second shaft was sunk about 90 metres northeast of the original entrance, and resulted in better coal production. After that, the J.J. Hamilton Coal Company began a lengthy process to get permission from the Mines Branch to electrify the mine. Previous problems with water, and lack of waterproofing for some of the eletrical cables and equipment, meant a long delay in gaining approval from the Mines Branch. The company formally abandoned the Federal Mine on 3 March 1956, citing a lack of demand for coal as its reason for doing so. Source: Johnston, Alex et al. Lethbridge: Its Coal Industry. Occasional Paper No. 20. Lethbridge Historical Society, 1989

Scope and Content: Copy of a map that shows the extent of underground workings of coal mine 1581 located in Legal Subdivisions 5, 6, 11 and 12, Section 24, Township 9, Range 22, West of the 4th Meridian.