The region along Deep River in central North Carolina once boasted a small but significant coal mining industry that for nearly two centuries provided fuel for manufacturing and domestic use. Confronted by natural obstacles and other challenges - including a devastating explosion in 1925 that killed 53 men and boys - entrepreneurs and experts made numerous attempts (some successful, some not) to harness the power of coal in a state still defining itself in a modernizing nation. Iron forges and hearths required ample supplies of coal to meet local demand, and the Deep River deposits provided them when no others existed. This book covers the history of coal mining at Deep River, from the early 1800s to the end of the 20th century.