The Buried Wealth of the Green River Basin
A survey of King County’s coal fields highlights the struggle to extract bituminous coal from the treacherous, broken strata of the Cascade foothills.
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Superintendent Corey's report on the coal fields of Western Washington details the development of King County’s resources. The region features both high-grade bituminous coal and lignite. The bituminous deposits, found closer to the mountains, are often of strong coking quality, but the seams are frequently distorted by igneous activity, making them difficult to mine. The Green River canyon provides clear evidence of this geological upheaval, where coal seams are seen emerging from the rock, twisting, and disappearing. At the Newcastle mine, which has been in operation for twenty-three years, the coal is considered some of the highest grade in the state, with a roof so stable it is often described as 'almost like steel.' In contrast, other sites like Cedar Mountain and Renton have struggled with mine fires and labor disputes, leading to shutdowns. The report notes that while dozens of tunnels exist throughout the county, many remain undeveloped or plagued by 'dirty' coal that requires washing.
“It is a common expression in speaking of the roof to say, 'The roof is almost like steel.' In fact there are places where there are acres of it mined out without a prop, pillar or anything to support it.”
Coal was the engine of 19th-century Seattle, powering the railroads and local industry long before tech or aviation. Today, the names Newcastle, Black Diamond, and Renton remain, but the mines are gone, replaced by residential sprawl that sits directly atop the exhausted, hollowed-out seams that once built the region.
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