| In 1891, the residents of Coal Creek were threatened with
losing their homes and jobs by the convict lease system. Southern states,
including Tennessee, used this system to generate revenue by leasing their
convicts to private enterprises like plantations, railroads, and coal
mines. The free miners of Coal Creek banded together with their neighbors
to fight the use of convict labor in the coal mines of Anderson County,
TN. According to the program, Chain Gangs on the HISTORY CHANNEL,
"the free miners of Coal Creek were instrumental in abolishing the
convict lease system in the South, an institution that was worse than
slavery". |
Coal Creek miners during a
community meeting in October 1891
to plan their strategy for ending
the convict lease system
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Coal Creek volunteers after a workday
to clean the Briceville People's Clinic
(right), paint an historic church (upper left), clean-up trash dumps,
and post historic markers along the
Coal Creek Motor Discovery Trail
in April 2001
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Like their ancestors, the current residents of Coal Creek
are again banding together. This time, their mission is to improve the
health of the Coal Creek watershed. Projects are underway to get the
Briceville People’s Clinic re-opened, address flooding problems, improve
education, and abate acid mine drainage from abandoned mine lands.
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| Volunteer doctors, dentists, nurses, and medical personnel
will provide free exams to students at Briceville Elementary School on
October 26, 2001 and to children and adults from the Coal Creek watershed at the
Briceville People’s Clinic on October 27, 2001. Students will perform
water quality testing and aquatic insect surveys to monitor the health of
Coal Creek. Adult volunteers will remove deadwood and debris from bridge
piers and revegetate eroded streambanks to reduce future flood damage.
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Briceville Elementary School students
removing trash from an historic
cemetery. In 1999, these students
won a Title I Distinguished School
Award, one of only 88 schools nationwide to win such an award.
In 2001, the Tennessee General Assembly issued a Resolution, recognizing
their efforts
to
preserve local history
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Events will begin at 8:00 am and end at 2:00 pm. Briceville is located
4 miles southwest of Lake City, Tennessee on State Highway 116.
These events are part of USA WEEKEND magazine’s "Make a Difference
Day", held in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation and
actor-philanthropist Paul Newman’s food company, Newman’s Own.
Mr. Newman donates $100,000 to recognize groups that participate in this
national event. Volunteer work in Coal Creek will also serve as in-kind service
to match federal grants supporting our various projects.
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