About
Van Lear, Kentucky, was incorporated in 1912 in Johnson County. Named for Van Lear Black, a director of Consolidation Coal Company, the town owes its existence to John Caldwell Calhoun Mayo, an entrepreneur from Pike County, Kentucky. Mayo, who taught in a one-room school near the confluence of Miller’s Creek and Sorghum Hollow, bought coal rights to lands along Miller’s Creek in Johnson County and Elkhorn Creek in Letcher County. He later sold these rights to Northern Coal and Coke, which Consolidation Coal Company of Maryland acquired.
Van Lear Black loaned money to Consolidation Coal Company to construct five miles of railroad into the Johnson County property, and the town was subsequently named for him. Five mines were opened, and Miller’s Creek block coal became highly desirable for domestic heating. Consolidation operated these mines from 1910 through 1946, after which the company divested its Miller’s Creek properties. Residents in the company houses were given the first chance to purchase their homes, and many did, but the town eventually declined. Major buildings were torn down, and the railroad was removed.
In 1981, the first-ever school reunion was held. The following year, the non-profit Van Lear Historical Society was organized to preserve the town’s history for former, present, and future citizens. In 1983, another school reunion was held alongside a town celebration, attended by more than 800 people, mostly former residents and descendants of Van Lear miner families. School reunions are now held every even-numbered year, and town reunions continue as annual events.
Membership dues are $15 per year, including a quarterly newsletter, “The Bankmule.”