▁min ing ▁operations , ▁creating ▁a ▁large ▁demand ▁for ▁cheap ▁labor . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁the ▁state ▁began ▁le asing ▁its ▁conv ict s ▁to ▁companies ▁willing ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁the ▁in m ates ' ▁housing ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁their ▁labor , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁le ased ▁conv ict s ▁to ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁Co al , ▁Iron , ▁and ▁Railway ▁Company ▁( T CI ), ▁which ▁owned ▁a ▁large ▁coal ▁and ▁co ke ▁operation ▁in ▁the ▁C umber land ▁Pl ate au ▁area ▁west ▁of ▁Ch att ano oga . ▁T CI , ▁in ▁turn , ▁sub leased ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁conv ict s ▁to ▁smaller ▁min ing ▁companies . ▁While ▁there ▁was ▁some ▁resistance ▁among ▁free ▁min ers ▁to ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁conv ict ▁labor ers ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁the ▁abund ance ▁of ▁jobs ▁and ▁companies ' ▁preference ▁for ▁the ▁higher - quality ▁production ▁of ▁free ▁labor ▁e ased ▁the ▁min ers ' ▁concerns . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁same ▁period , ▁the ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁Valley ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁Tennessee ' s ▁most ▁luc r ative ▁coal ▁min ing ▁regions . ▁The ▁town ▁of ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁expanded ▁rapidly , ▁becoming ▁the ▁largest ▁in ▁Anderson ▁County ▁with ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s . ▁Co al ▁mines ▁opened ▁throughout ▁the ▁valley ▁between ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁and ▁Br ice ville , ▁which ▁was ▁founded ▁as