52 Ancestors Week 5: Challenge

 

This week’s theme is “Challenge.”   One of the most difficult challenges is confirming that an Appalachian Coal Miner died from Black Lung. 

Many doctors didn't write Black Lung as the cause of death on the death certificate because the Coal Company didn't want them to.  A lot, but not all, of the doctors were payed by the Coal Company.

The Challenges of Finding Black Lung Families in Genealogy

Genealogical research can be a fascinating journey, but tracing ancestors who suffered from black lung disease presents unique challenges. Black lung disease, or coal workers' pneumoconiosis, primarily affected coal miners and their families, leaving behind records that are often fragmented or difficult to access.

Changing shifts at the mine portal, Floyd County, Kentucky.  - Russell Lee (Nat Archives)

One of the most common forms is black lung disease, also known as miner's lung. It's caused by breathing in coal dust. Another is brown lung, which comes from working around dust or other fibers. Other types of dusts that can cause pneumoconiosis include silica and asbestos. John Hopkins Medicine.

Click on the Read More link for steps in Finding Black Lung Records.

1. Lack of Detailed Medical Records

Many coal miners were diagnosed with black lung informally, and medical documentation may not always exist. Before the Black Lung Benefits Act of 1969, diagnoses were inconsistent, making it harder to confirm an ancestor’s illness. If medical records do exist, they are often restricted due to privacy laws.

2. Company and Union Records Are Scattered

Coal companies and miners’ unions kept employment and health records, but many companies shut down or merged, leading to lost or destroyed archives. While some union records may be available in historical societies or university collections, they are often incomplete.

3. Death Certificates May Be Vague

Miners with black lung often succumbed to complications like tuberculosis, heart disease, or respiratory failure. Death certificates may list these as causes of death instead of black lung, making it difficult to establish a direct connection.

4. Migration and Lost Family Connections

Many coal miners were migrants, moving between mining regions in Appalachia, the Midwest, and beyond. This mobility can make it hard to track families across different census records and state archives.

5. Oral Histories Are Crucial—But Sometimes Unreliable

Family stories and local histories often hold valuable clues, but details may be lost or altered over generations. Seeking out interviews with older relatives or community historians can help bridge the gaps left by missing documents.

Tips for Researching Black Lung Families

• Check coal mining state archives (such as West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania) for miners' records.
• Explore Black Lung Benefits claims through the Department of Labor for cases after 1969.
• Search local newspapers for obituaries and union reports on miners.
• Visit mining museums or historical societies for industry and employment records.
• Use DNA testing to connect with descendants of miners who may have additional family records.

While researching black lung families can be challenging, persistence and creative search strategies can help uncover the lives and struggles of coal mining ancestors.

Watch this fascinating webcast of Black Lung and Mine Safety Advocacy - a twenty year fight for Black Lung Benefits.

And this webcast that explains the ways many Coal Companies would get around the safety requirements: Black Lung in Appalachian Coal Miners

#52Ancestors was started by another WikiTreer, blogger, and professional genealogist, Amy Johnson Crow. Check out her Generations Cafe Facebook group