In 1904 the Black Diamond Coal Mining Company sold the entire town of Black Diamond to the Pacific Coast Coal Company, including the company store. The company store sold merchandise to the miners which were charged to each miner's account. On payday, the credit charges were settled and the miners received the remainder of their pay. The store building had three floors with general merchandise, dry goods, clothing, shoes, nails, hardware, and the bookeepers office on the main floor. Hay, oats and chicken feed were kept in the basement. Upstairs were furniture and the payroll guards' living quarters.

This building was moved to the Railroad Avenue location shown here from Lawson, after that mine closed in 1910. Around 1939 Pacific Coast Company sold the homes to the miners and essentially ended the "company town" concept. The store was sold to Harry McDowell in 1942 and survived until the 1960s.

Handwritten on image: 11748
Signs in Image: Old Dutch Cleanser, Magic Yeast

Typed on verso: Store at Black Diamond. Showing also "Black Diamond Store" stock and building recently taken over by the Pacific Coast Coal Co.

Caption information supplied by William Kombol of Palmer Coking Coal Co.

Same as SHS19175