The Danville mine was originally opened in 1896 when a rock tunnel was driven across
the coal strata in an area south of the Cedar River near the Summit-Landsburg road.
Early mining was on the Frasier coal seam, sometimes spelled Frazier. It is not
known for whom the coal seam was named. In 1904, the Vesuvius Coal Company, with
J. Fraser as Superintendent, produced 1,500 tons working 260 days with 30 employees.
The North Coast Colliery operated the Danville mine in 1907-08, with Harry Nesbit
as foreman, but produced less than 10,000 tons. From 1928-1930, the Danville Coal
Company operated mines in the area. Shares of stock in that company owned by Peter
Mattioda were the subject of an earlier column. The Desimone Coal Company operated
the Landsburg No. 1 mine at Danville from 1933-1936 and produced over 30,000 tons
of coal. Around 1937, Palmer Coking Coal Company reopened the Danville mine on the
Frasier Seam. This photo shows the mine crew in front of the bunkers and tipple.
Eventually, mining moved to a nearby seam and, in later years, the Danville mine
became more commonly known as the Landsburg mine. Shown here around 1939 are the
following Palmer Coking Coal employees, left to right: Steve Somsak, Jalmer Johnson,
Jack A. Morris, John Jackson, unknown, unknown, Bob Pierce Sr., Louis Bago.
