This privately owned photo by Roy Scully appeared in the Pictoral magazine of the Seattle Times on February 22, 1953. The subject matter, of the magazine spread, was the ongoing mining and marketing of coal, including this image of the Mine No. 11 wash plant in Black Diamond. By 1953, underground mining had ceased at this site as coal was hauled in from Palmer Coking Coal Company’s mines at Landsburg and Franklin. The property was still used for cleaning coal through removal of slate and other impurities through a floatation process. About 35% of the material was removed by the washery, shown behind the miner. Much of the clean coal was still transported to market by rail as seen to the left, where a rail car is being loaded with stoker coal from the tall bunkers. At one time Mine No. 11 was the deepest underground coal mine in U.S., with tunnels in its Mckay seam stretching more than 7,000 feet below ground. Measured vertically the mine was 2,000 feet down or 1,400 feet below sea level. The mine reached depths far to the west all the way underneath Lake Sawyer. Mine No. 11 closed in 1927 after 31 years of operations in which more than 7 million tons of coal were mined. This Saturday, July 16th please join the fun and festivities at Black Diamond Miner’s Days held on Railroad Avenue between the museum and the bakery. There are a number of activities including a 5-K run, museum tours, music, vintage fashion, children’s fun, and booths with food and merchandise. For more information visit the Black Diamond Miner’s Day Facebook page or go to: www.BlackDiamondMuseum.org