Date	Event
1880s - 1890s	Bryant family buying much land in area, and L.E. Bryant begins exploring and mining of coal.
1893	L.E. Bryant brings large block of coal to Columbian exhibition in Chicago, encourages larger capitalists to come to the area.
?c.1901	John Toomey, associate of L. E. Bryant, visits Jutus S. Stearns in Michigan and convinces him to consider investment in Big South Fork area (Thomas 1989; OH:18)
1902-3	Big Survey and other land surveys and purchases by Kinne, for Justice Stearns, leasing of other Bryant lands
1902	Stearns Coal Company, Stearns Lumber Co., and K&T Railroad incorporated, begin work on lumbar yard and town of Stearns (Thomas 1989, Kinne 1929).
1902	Camp at Barthell established, work on mine One and Two initiated, L.E. Bryant supervises, James Bonnyman first superintendent (Thomas 1989; Thomas, OH No.18)
1903	K&T tracks reach Barthell, tipple completed (Thomas 1989)
1903, 6-1	First shipment of coal from Barthell (Thomas 1989)
1903, 6-4	To celebrate shipment, first July 4th festival in Stearns, annual tradition established, train excursion to Barthell (Birdwell1990)
1903	Sawmill opens in Stearns (Kinne 1929)
1903	Stearns school built, others in camps follow (Kinne 1929)
1904	Five or six men blown from Barthell mine, three of them possibly into creek by explosion, five men killed (Thomas 1989, OH:14) (Note, Perry 1979 suggest that this happened in 1910)
1905-6	J.E. Butler replaces L.E. Bryant in management of mines (Thomas 1989)
1905-6	Butler hires J.M. McGuffey as superintendent of new Mine Two, Barthell, build house for him.  Mr. Reynolds superintendent of Mine One (OH:6)
1908	early union recruiting leads to shoot-out at hotel, burning of hotel (Thomas 1989, Perry 1979; OH:12)
1909	Stearns Co. negotiates contract with Southern Railway, provides major market for Barthell's No. 2 seam coal (OH:14; Birdwell 1990:73)
1910	Six men killed in Barthell mine accident (Thomas 1989)
1910	Reorganization of seperate companies into one company, Stearns Coal and Lumber Co.
1910	In reorganization, value of timber, Bryant purchase, only $3,000, suggesting area fairly well logged out; Value of Bryant lease (includes Barthell) at $30,000, and of mining materials and equipment at $45,000, suggesting optimism about coal (Articles of Association, Stearns Coal and Lumber Co.)
1912	McCreary County formed, Whitley City as seat
1912	Charlie Crabtree killed by rock fall at Barthell, first rock fall death (Helen Green n.d.)
1916	Jonce Holt (later to be foreman) comes to Barthell (OH:16,14)
1919	Mine Two in Barthell closes (Thomas n.d.)
1920	State Bank of Stearns formed, deposits grow to over $500,000 by 1929 (Kinne 1929).  Stearns State Bank opened (dissolved in 1940/1941)
1920s	hold dances in top of tipple, and in individual houses (OH:13)
1920s	Stearns Co. bypasses national labor struggles, does not organize (Birdwell 1990:75)
1923-7	Purchase of the Bryant lease by the Stearns Coal and Lumber- includes Barthell (Whitley Co. Deed Book 12:587)
1925	Some labor unrest, some miners blacklisted for involvement (employee card files at Stearns Museum)
1927	Lewis Jones killed in explosion while working alone on Thanksgiving Day, established tradition of no work on that day (OH:14)
1928-29	Camargo Co. sells electric gatheringmotors to Stearns Co. for use at Barthell, phase out mules for gathering (OH:13)
1929	Bad flooding at Carmago and other cmps, but not major damage to Barthell (Birdwell 1990:84
1929	Dr. Bradley moves to Barthell (Record)
1930, Jan.	Record production for one month, 100.961 tons of coal (all mines) (Birdwell 1990:88)
1931	New marketing strategies, No. 2 coal seam named Scarlet Tanager (Birdwell 1990:88)
1933	Stobart McGuffey, son of J.M. McGuffey, killed in explosion at Worley (Record), leads to stricter safety measures, breakdown of J.M. McGuffey (OH:14)
1933	Dr. Bradley leaves Barthell (Record)
early 1930s	New bath house, double houses on east side of Paunch Creek built (OH:1)
1933-6	CCC Camp established at Cumberland Falls, build concrete toilets at Barthell (OH:1; 14)
1935	J.M. McGuffey retires as Barthell Superintendent, moves to Stearns; eventually replaced by Red Rose after interim replacements Mr. Gibbon, Caewood Whalen (Record, OH:1,7,14)
1935	Major strike, some pro-Union miners blacklisted by Stearns Co. (Birdwell 1990;99,109)
1935-1940s	Increasing number of miners join Union (OH:1; Birdwell 1990)
1936	Stearns Co. renegotiates contract with Southern Railway, helps insure market for Barthell coal (Birdwell 1990:99)
1937	Web Warman becomes store manager (Record)
1937	E.E. Barthell, namesake of Barthell coal camp, dies
1937	Stearns Co. sells much of previously logged land to U.S. Forest Service, Cumberland National Forest
1937-1938	Establishment of Mine 18 at Blue Heron
1938	Fatal shoot-out between Ellis Strunk and Tom Vahles near school/church
1938-40	Depression-related fluctuations in work at Barthell stop, work now more full time (OH:14; Birdwell 1990)
1938-1940s	bring coal cutting machines in, less hand loading
1939	Group photo of miners taken
c. 1940	Scrip changes largely to metal (OH:1)
1940-41	WWII patriotism high, Gorman Strunk set American flag into rock at store (OH:10)
1940s, early	Loss of some younger men into service
1940s, early	Increased wartime production, add second railroad track (OH:2)
1942	Road from Revilo to Mine 18 paved (Record)
1943, 5-6	Barthell (and other Stearns miners) ignore strike and respond to patriotic calls for work
1943, 6-17	Tipple and nearby structures at Barthell burns, totally destroyed and not rebuilt, end of mining at Mine One, Barthell coal from Mine Two routed to Mine 18 (Record)
1945	W.A. Kinne dies (Record)
August 1, 1941	Dr. Floyd killed in train collision south end of Barthell (OH:7)
1952, 3-15	Lay off of hand loaders at Mine 18 (machine work continues) and at Mine No. 2, Barthell, 125 men in all (Record, OH)
1952	Begin dismantling of Barthell mine and camp(OH:17)
1959	Jonce Holt retires as Barthell Foreman, and family moves to Stearns, last family out of Barthell. (OH:14, 15)
1961	Final dismantling, end of Barthell mine and coal camp
1974	Big South Fork National Recreation Area formed
1984	The Kogers purchase Barthell from the Stearns Coal & Lumber Company.