Mining Our Past
A Comparison of Peruvian Silver Refineries with West Virginia Coal Mines
How did they live?
In Peru, silver miners and refiners often lived in remote work camps. Housing was temporary, small, and cramped. Spanish mill owners would sometimes provide laborers with provisions, such as water and chicha (corn beer). More often, indigenous laborers utilized their own traditional methods of food acquisition, such as hunting and fishing for wild game. They also relied on traditional methods of preserving food, such as making ch’arki (freeze dried llama meat, or jerky) and chuño (freeze dried potatoes).
Image above: 18th century water color of an indigenous man by bishop Martínez Compañón. Many of the laborers at Peruvian silver mines were indigenous Peruvian men forced to work in the mining industry. From the Codex Martínez Compañón (1782–1785). Courtesy of the Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes. Madrid, Spain.
Peruvian Mining Cuisine
How did they live?
Peruvian Work Camps
Many Peruvian silver refineries were only occupied seasonally and workers came to work a few months out the year. The housing was usually small and cramped.
Right: A photograph of a worker's house from the archaeological site of Chorrillos, a 17th century Spanish silver refinery near Puno, Peru. The door frame is quite small (you can see a meter stick near the door). Behind the house is a tall 5 meter wall that surrounded the work camp. Photograph by Sarah Kennedy.
How did they live?
WV Coal Company Towns and Stores
In West Virginia, coal miners often lived in company towns, where everything was owned by the coal company. They were paid in company scrip, which was only redeemable at the company store. To make matters worse, the company stores often sold food and provisions with inflated prices.
Image Above: An example of coal scrip from the Thacker Mines of WV. Coal miners were paid in company scrip (private currency in the form of tokens). Scrip was only redeemable at the company store. Photograph by Coal town guy, WikiCommons.
How did they live?
WV Tent Colonies and Company Houses
Many WV coal miners lived in company owned towns and houses. However, during periods of labor strikes, mine operators evicted miner's from their company homes. This forced miners into tent colonies.
Right: The Holly Grove mining tent colony of West Virginia during the Paint/Cabin Creek strike from 1912-1913. 2 January 1913. Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail, September 8, 2018. WikiCommmons.
How did they live?
West Virginia Coal Miner Cuisine
Many miners brought their own traditions with them as well, using canning jars to preserve food and stoneware “crock” to store provisions. Like miners in Peru, they also hunted wild game when possible to supplement the expensive goods purchased at the company stores.
Left: An example of an antique stoneware jar. Photograph by Hardyplants. WikiCommons.