Coal was being mined in Shelby and the surrounding counties of Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Bibb, Walker, and St. Clair as early as the 1830s. By 1859, the largest mine operation in the state was the Alabama Coal Mining Company, consisting of several drift mines in the Montevallo area. Changing owners, names, and locations several times, it was in continuous operation for over a century when the Montevallo Coal Mine Company in Aldrich closed July 5, 1942. Two historic buildings remain: the Montevallo Coal Mine Company Store (1928) and Farrington Hall (1908), the office building from 1925-1942. Both Montevallo Coal Mine Company Store and Farrington Hall are listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.