Overview:

The first documented mining of coal in the US was 50 tons dug in 1748. Today we produce over one billion tons per year. At one time or another, coal has been produced in nearly all of the 38 States with coal deposits. Historically, this production played an important role in the development of these States as well as in the Nation's growth and westward expansion. US coal production has reached record levels, but not all coal producing States have shared in this growth. The peak coal production in some States occurred many decades ago, whereas in other States the coal industry has been revitalized in recent times. These changes reflect shifts in the use of coal over the years.

In the past, coal had a variety of uses. Gas for gas lights was originally made from coal in most cities. In fact in Britain this so-called illuminating gas was made from coal until the 1950's.

Large amounts of coal were once consumed for domestic heating, railroad fuel and for stationery steam engines. In those days coal was often mined near cities and wherever the railroads went. Coal was once a very important source of heat for smelting iron ore for the iron and steel industry, and still is to some degree.

Today, due to competetion from other fuels and other sources of energy, coal is used mostly to generate electricity. Concern over environmental quality has led to greater use of low sulfur coal in power plants. This adversely affected production in States with mostly high sulfur coal, but rejuvinated the industry in some States with low sulfur coal.

Energy Information Administration (home page), plus:
-- Historical Data and Analysis provides production and consumption statistics.
-- State Coal Profiles (a menu of PDF contents): This publication summarizes basic information on the coal deposits, the development of the coal industry, and the use of coal in each of the 27 States with coal production in 1992. Includes use of coal from other states. This information should serve as the basis for more detailed analyses of the role an individual State's coal resources and coal industry have in contributing to the Nation's coal requirements. File Size: 6 meg, segmented.

Other sources:

Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society - devoted to the history of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.
The Coal WWW Virtual Library by the Australian Federal Department of Primary Industries and Energy. Lots of stuff.
Coal Mining in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era from Ohio State Universtiy.
Coal Mining in Pennsylvania includes several good links with history.
Coal Links and documents from the Kentucky Coal Marketing and Export Council.
International Students of History Association
Organization of American Historians
Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society - non-profit educational organization dedicated to steam locomotive preservation.
More interesting railroad links.
National Railway Historical Society - unofficial home page for the NRHS.
Southern Railway Historical Association - dedicated to preserving the history of the Southern Railway and its subsidiary roads.
What Coal Miners Do from the United Mine Workers includes facts and history.
Wyodak Resources Development Corporation -- is a surface mine in the northeast corner of Wyoming. Wyodak is believed to be the oldest operating surface coal mine in the nation .