Soon after settlers arrived in Paint Creek, the discovery of coal transformed the landscape and population. Within a few years, mines began operating there under New York businessman William Henry Greene, who opened the first mines on Paint Creek in 1852, and railroads connected the area to national markets. The boom also brought serious environmental damage as acid mine drainage and debris from coal camps polluted Paint Creek, depleted the fish population, and turned the water red for many years. As mining activity diminished in the watershed, the creek slowly began to heal, but much work remained. In 1995, concerned citizens along Paint Creek formed the Upper and Lower Paint Creek Watershed Associations, and after years of work to improve water quality and fish habitat, Paint Creek experienced a rebirth. It now offers some of the best trout fishing in the area, is regularly stocked with trout, and draws anglers to its banks, while nearby Plum Orchard Lake, five miles north of Pax, also attracts fishing for sunfish, channel catfish, crappie, and largemouth bass.