D ow ell ▁Count ies ▁the ▁coal field ▁expanded ▁with ▁it . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 8 0 s ▁the ▁Br am well ▁area ▁was ▁bo oming ▁with ▁mines ▁at ▁Co op ers ▁and ▁Fre eman . ▁ ▁Co al ▁mines ▁continued ▁to ▁open ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁as ▁the ▁Nor folk ▁& ▁Western ▁Rail road ▁laid ▁track ▁along ▁El kh orn ▁Creek ▁and ▁eventually ▁reached ▁Wel ch . ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁these ▁coal ▁mines / co al ▁cam ps ▁included ▁Maybe ury , ▁El kh orn , ▁U pl and , ▁and ▁Ke yst one . ▁ ▁The ▁co als ▁of ▁the ▁P oc ah ont as ▁coal field ▁developed ▁a ▁good ▁reputation , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁U . S . ▁Ste el ▁had ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁named ▁U . S . ▁Co al ▁and ▁Co ke ▁to ▁mine ▁coal ▁in ▁central ▁Mc D ow ell ▁County . ▁ ▁The ▁operations ▁centered ▁around ▁Gary , ▁with ▁number ed ▁coal ▁mines / cam ps ▁surrounding ▁the ▁central ▁coal ▁town ▁of ▁Gary ▁like ▁coal ▁town ▁sub ur bs . ▁ ▁Wil co e ▁was ▁Gary ▁No . ▁ 1 , ▁Re am ▁was ▁Gary ▁No . ▁ 6 , ▁El bert ▁was ▁Gary ▁No . 8 , ▁and ▁Ven us ▁was ▁Gary ▁No . ▁ 1 0 ▁and ▁Thor pe ▁was ▁No . 1 1 . ▁ ▁At ▁first ▁the ▁coal ▁was ▁b aked ▁in ▁be eh ive ▁co