Tip Top
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The following represent a series of oral histories conducted during the Tip Top, KY Coal Camp reunion over the Labor Day holiday weekend in 2015. These interviews were conducted by Shane Barton, Lesly-Marie Buer, and Carson Benn with support provided by Adam Manns.
Introduction to Tip Top, KY https://youtu.be/F7pKBny1DFI
Being a kid in Tip Top, KY https://youtu.be/wmVKVshvJ84
Company Store in Tip Top, KY https://youtu.be/4qUVrkZmI5c
Education in Tip Top, KY https://youtu.be/rJuzlrQmnEk
Entertainment and Community in Tip Top, KY https://youtu.be/hfsVP0cUmXY
Gardening Traditions in Tip Top, KY https://youtu.be/cUJCuwkCLaw
Living and Family in Tip Top, KY https://youtu.be/bWgxqX6cgKg
Church in Tip Top, KY https://youtu.be/CmPJc1LWBlQ
TV and Radio in Tip Top, KY https://youtu.be/QIpfdlguF2Y
Working in Tip Top, KY https://youtu.be/rklan6y0iKI
Longitude: -83.061000000000
Tip Top is a former Coal Camp town located in Magoffin County, Ky. The town was named for the coal mining company that began operations in 1924, atop the ridge summit, about 8 miles south of the city of Salyersville. The first post office was est. two years later with Frank Hunt as post master. Organizers host an annual coal camp reunion to celebrate their history. To learn more visit https://www.facebook.com/TipTopKentucky#!/TipTopKentucky
-submitted by Lisa Stumbo, Director of ECHO-Big Sandy Community and Technical College lstumbo0004@kctcs.edu on 6/2/2014
Tip Top Kentucky is a place in Magoffin county located at the Breathitt & Magoffin county line..The C&O did not construct the tunnel at Tiptop until 1949. Tracks were finally extended from Carver to Evanston in Breathitt County after construction of this tunnel. The tunnel was consumed with fire in 2009 & was closed up at both ends of it to contain the fire (Breathitt & the Magoffin county sides). In 2002, CSX sold the Dawkins Line to R. J. Corman. R.J. Corman filed to abandon the thirty six miles of the Dawkins line the week of November 6, 2004. The Kentucky Rails to Trails will soon be on the way to reopen the tunnel back up to complete the 36 mile Dawkins Line trail from Hagerhill to Evanston in Breathitt county; they have already opened the first 19 miles of the trail. The coal tipple at Tip Top was one of the last standing landmark reminders of the former Tip Top coal camp. It was totally destroyed in the mid to late 1990's. All that remand was metal reinforcements,the Tipple was originally constructed in the 1920's by the Tip Top coal company when the community was a boom-town. The Tip Top company store was built also in the 1920's. The Tip Top church was built in the 1940's. All that remains of the original Coal camp are the Tip Top church & the Dr.Skaggs building next to where the company store use to sit. The building that formerly housed the offices of the Tip Top coal company & later the post office was consumed in fire in 2006.
-Submitted by Adam Mann on 6/2/2014
