Module Name: McNabb Coal
Designed By: Richard Fisher - 1980
Overview:

In Catoosa, Oklahoma, traffic on U.S. Route 66 rolled past the McNabb Coal Company. Although Tulsa was known as the “Oil Capitol of the World”, many people are unaware that Northeastern Oklahoma also contained large bituminous coal deposits which were mined in the first half of the 20th century.

In 1912, the McNabb brothers began strip mining coal along Coal Creek near Catoosa. They mined with horses and mules until they were able to buy their first steam shovel in 1926. The company continued to grow and became a major employer in Catoosa during the 1930’s and 1940’s. It ceased operations in 1996 but the tipple and other facilities were still in place in 2001.