ke ▁o vens ▁at ▁the ▁mine ▁site ▁and ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁the ▁steel ▁mill s ▁as ▁co ke ▁( m uch ▁as ▁U . S . ▁Ste el ▁had ▁done ▁in ▁the ▁Con nell sv ille ▁coal field ▁in ▁Pennsylvania ). ▁ ▁After ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁the ▁coal ▁was ▁sh ipped ▁by ▁rail ▁to ▁the ▁massive ▁co ke ▁works ▁at ▁Cla ir ton . ▁ ▁The ▁capt ive ▁mines ▁of ▁U . S . ▁Ste el ▁in ▁the ▁Gary ▁area ▁continued ▁to ▁th rive ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁closed ▁and ▁Gary ▁began ▁an ▁economic ▁decl ine . ▁ ▁The ▁P oc ah ont as ▁Co al field ▁continued ▁to ▁th rive ▁through ▁two ▁world ▁wars . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁Mine ▁Work ers ▁union ▁gained ▁a ▁fo oth old ▁in ▁the ▁coal field ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁ ▁African - Amer icans ▁from ▁the ▁south ▁flo oded ▁the ▁coal field ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁a ▁better ▁way ▁of ▁life , ▁and ▁to ▁this ▁day ▁Mc D ow ell ▁County ▁has ▁the ▁highest ▁percentage ▁of ▁African - American ▁population ▁of ▁any ▁West ▁Virginia ▁county . ▁ ▁Im migr ants ▁from ▁Poland , ▁Hung ary , ▁Italy , ▁and ▁Greece ▁settled ▁in ▁the ▁coal ▁cam ps ▁and ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁remarkable ▁eth nic ▁divers ity ▁of ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁E cho es ▁of ▁this ▁divers ity ▁are ▁still ▁evident ▁today . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid – 2 0 th ▁century ▁mines