Mingo County, West Virginia Biography of Earl MCCONNAUGHY This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the sketch subject. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 264-265 Mingo County EARL MCCONNAUGHY has effectively upheld the prestige of the family name in connection with the coal-mining industry, and is one of its vital and progressive exponents in the Kentucky and West Virginia fields. He was the organizer and is secretary, treasurer and general manager of the P. M. C. Coal Company, which derives its title from the surname initials of its three promoters, Messrs. Palmer, McConnaughy and Countremen. The coal lands of the company comprise 600 acres on Hatfield Bend of the Tug River in Pike County, with a steel bridge across the river to afford connection with the company's tipple in West Vir- ginia. The residence and executive headquarters of Mr. Mc- Connaughy are maintained at Sprigg, Mingo County, West Virginia. He had the supervision of the opening of the mine of this company and the erection and equipping of the producing plant, operations at the mine having been initiated in August, 1918, and the company having de- veloped a large export trade. Mr. McConnaughy was born at Bridgeport, Ohio, June 19, 1877, a son of Howell and Sophia (Heneke) McCon- naughy, both likewise natives of that place, where the mother died in February, 1911, aged fifty-nine years, and where the death of the father occurred in the following October, when he was sixty-two years of age. Howell Mc- Connaughy was actively concerned with coal mining during his entire business career, and operated mines in the Eastern Ohio District. Of the family of three sons and one daugh- ter the eldest son, Albert C., was president of the Buffalo Eagle Coal Company, operating in the Logan field of West Virginia, and also secretary and treasurer of the Guyan Coal Company, his death having occurred in 1920. Fred is district agent of the New York Life Insurance Company, with headquarters at Lead, South Dakota. The only daugh- ter is Mrs. Charles Adams, of Dayton, Ohio. The early education of Earl McConnaughy was acquired in the schools of his native place. He was eighteen years old when he left the Bridgeport High School and initiated his association with the practical affairs of business. He became night superintendent of the Aetna Standard Mill, and four years later, at the age of twenty-two years, he became assistant superintendent for the Republic Iron & Steel Company at Toledo, Ohio. A year later he accepted the position of superintendent for the Henderson Coal Com- pany, operating in Ohio, and in this connection he main- tained his headquarters in his native city of Bridgeport for ten years. He tlien came to the Logan coal fields in West Virginia, and for two years was engaged in the buying of coal lands. He then became manager of the Alma Thacker Fuel Company in Kentucky, not far distant from Matewan,, West Virginia, and his next decisive movement was the organizing of the P. M. C. Coal Company, of which he has since continued secretary, treasurer and general manager. He was in the last draft, at the time of the World war, but received from Government authorities instruction to bend his energies to the production of coal, an economic service of as much value as could be that which he might render in the army or navy. He spurred his energies to the maximum production of fuel, and thus effectively followed the instructions which had been given. Mr. McConnaughy's basic Masonic affiliation is with the Blue Lodge at William- son, and in the Scottish Rite he has received the thirty- second degree, besides which he is a member of the Lodge of Elks at Martins Ferry, Ohio. He was reared in the faith of the Methodist Church, and his wife holds membership in the Presbyterian Church. On April 5, 1900, Mr. McConnaughy married Miss Lucy Hill, daughter of Thomas Hill, of Bridgeport, Ohio. They have no children.