Archives West Finding Aid

The Morris Brothers Coal Mining Company was incorporated on December 15, 1921 and was located at Durham, a mining camp in southeast King County. In 1928, Morris Bros. took over the operation of the Occidental Coal Company in Bayne; however, the stock market crash in 1929 placed a strain on the business. On August 14, 1933, the Palmer Coking Coal Company was incorporated by Johh H. Morris, Jonas Morris, William Morris, Edward G. Morris, Joe Kieulak, and J.G. Raley in response to the recent death of Abe Morris and a dwindling coal market. In 1937, Palmer acquired all of the assets of Morris Brothers Coal Mining Company and continued to operate mines in the Durham, Occidental, Bayne, Danville, and Landsburg areas in southeastern King County during the 1930's and 1940's.

In the early 1950's, Palmer purchased most of the land and mineral assets of the Pacific Coast Coal Company, a subsidiary of the New Jersey-based Pacific Coast Company. In 1953, Palmer signed an agreement expanding their operations by an additional 6,000 acres, including substantial holdings in Newcastle, Franklin, Kummer, and Black Diamond. By the 1950's the company had expanded into new business ventures in sand, gravel, topsoil, landscape products, and land development. Palmer continues to provide retail and wholesale product lines; however, they ceased underground coal mining in 1975 and surface coal mining operations in 1986.