At the peak of the coal boom in the Winding Gulf region, thousands of miners worked in the four mines of the Eastern Associated Coal Company in Helen. Coming from various races and nationalities, they labored long and hard under often very dangerous conditions. The coal they mined was shipped by rail across the world, helping provide electricity to the nation, power its factories and steel mills, and sustain the nation and the world through both World Wars. Their daily work and sacrifices were central to the development of this nation and the wider world.