David A. Zegeer Coal-Railroad Museum, Coal and railroad heritage museum in Jenkins, Kentucky.
The David A. Zegeer Coal-Railroad Museum is a heritage museum in Jenkins dedicated to the region's coal and railroad history. It houses mining equipment, railroad artifacts, photographs, and historical documents from the coal industry of eastern Kentucky.
The museum was founded in 1998 inside a restored 1911 train station that served as a central transportation hub during the region's coal mining peak. The location highlights how railroads were critical for moving coal out of the area.
The exhibits feature personal items from local residents, including mining tools and company store scrip that reflect generations of coal mining families. You can see how these objects shaped daily life and the community's economy.
The museum is located on Main Street across from the former Jenkins High School building and shares its space with an active bank. Plan your visit with flexibility since the museum operates alongside banking hours.
The museum holds original photographs documenting both historical and contemporary coal mining activities across Southern Appalachia. This visual timeline lets visitors directly compare mining methods from different eras.
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