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The Louis Frost Notes 1685 to 1962
CUMBERLAND RAILWAY AND COAL COMPANY, LIMITED
History of Cumberland Coal Field
Springhill
The coal areas at Springhill, in common with those in other
districts in Nova Scotia, were originally leased in 1825 to the General
Mining Association by the Duke of York. When the lease was abrogated
in 1857, having in 1849 released to the Government of Nova Scotia all
its interests in the minerals of the province, the General Mining
Association, as compensation for loss of rights was permitted to select
and retain certain limited areas. Among these were four square miles of
coal lands at Springhill.
Lack of transportation facilities prevented coal being mined
other than at the outcrops by farmers for their own use, until 1870.
With the prospect of rail transportation being available, a Company known
as the Springhill Mining Company was formed. This Company leased from
the Government certain areas outside the limits of the General Mining
Association holdings, and systematic mining on a moderate scale began.
In 1878 the workings had reached the boundary of the
General Mining Association area and in the following year this area was
transferred through the Crown from the G. M. A. to the Springhill
Mining Company.
A few years later the Springhill and Parrsboro Coal
and Railway Company was organized.
These two companies were merged in 1884 under the
title of the Cumberland Railway and Coal Company, which began mining
on a very much larger scale.
In 1910 the Dominion Coal Company Limited absorbed the
Cumberland Railway and Coal Company.
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