Briceville, Tennessee is a former coal mining town nestled in the Cumberland Mountains, north of Knoxville. The community of Briceville proper, where the elementary school, post office, and our building are located, was largely settled by the Welsh. They came to work in the mines in the late 1800s, and soon found themselves in a battle for their livelihoods.

The Coal Creek War was an armed resistance against the use of convicts in the coal mines. It eventually led to the end of the convict leasing system in Tennessee in 1896.

After fighting to keep their jobs, several tragedies happened to this coal mining community. In 1902, the Fraterville Mine Disaster killed 216 men, making it one of the deadliest mining accidents in Tennessee history. Some of those same families experienced further devastation in 1911 when the Cross Mountain Mine Disaster killed 84. For further information on the history of the Briceville area, see the Coal Creek Miners Museum or the Coal Creek Watershed Foundation.

Now the mines are closed and those who live in Briceville work in other towns. The Briceville area encompasses a wide swath of Anderson county, most of which is beyond the area of Briceville proper. To get an idea of this, check out the map below. The families living in this area are largely the descendants of miners.