Murray City: An Ohio Ghost Town

At the height of the coal-mining industry, southeastern Ohio was home to dozens if not hundreds of small towns that appeared overnight and disappeared in much the same way. These towns were often built by the coal mining companies as quickly as possible, with a lack of major amenities for citizens. Usually, they included a company store, town hall, and maybe a doctor, if needed. While these towns were once seen all over the edge of Ohio, most have since disappeared into the history books. Murray City is one such town.

During the early 1900s, Murray City was one of the largest coal mining towns in Ohio and in the entire United States. The coal mines in Murray City were so popular and well known that miners came from all over the country for the opportunity to work there. Located in Hocking County, the town had a population of over 2,000 citizens during the 1910s, and despite its popularity, for a long time the town was only accessible by train. After a few years, the coal company built public streets and added sidewalks.

As was the rule with many coal mining towns in Ohio, there was little racism present in the town, with many races present in the mines. The thought tended to be that "everyone looked the same in the mines". The first residents were Eastern European residents, quickly followed by immigrants of all types with the increase of mines in the area.

Using Murray City as a base for a mining operation was a cause for laughing in the beginning. The area where the town was built was wild, and mostly untamed, wilderness with only a few log cabins on the hills. Murray Brown, a local resident, decided that the area had more to offer and opened a large hotel as well as platting the town. Unfortunately Brown didn't have the money to continue, and after his hotel was destroyed by a fire, all seemed lost.

In 1885, ten years after Brown built his hotel, Greendale Company opened Mine #7, followed by several more. As jobs became available, more settlers began flocking to the area. The town became incorporated in 1891, which led to more businesses, houses, and residents appearing. During this time the first church appeared as well, followed by a municipal water company. Murray City also had a strong relationship between the union and the mining company; wages increased, and the union helped bring in several doctors for the town's use. At its height, Murray City has a weekly newspaper, a great school system, and thousands of happy residents.

Despite its popularity, Murray City slowly lost more residents as the coal mines closed their doors, and the company left town. In 2000, the census listed the town's population as just over 500. With a handful of residents left, Murray City is not technically a ghost town, but it is easily on its way.

Now Murray City is most known for their semi-famous residents. Singer Damon Mitchell once called the town home, and Josh Devore a player for the New York Giants in the early 1910s was also born and raised there. The town is also mildly famous for their Football team, the Murray City Tigers who are listed at the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Murray City is one of the few former coal mining towns that maintains a sense of history for its former residents. Every year the town hosts an "alumni dinner" on Memorial Day Weekend, with a fish fry on the site of the former #5 coal mine, and a Saturday night dinner.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_City,_Ohio
http://www.ohgen.net/ohathens/murraycity.htm