Columbia, TX, United States
Site of Darwin Community. Known since Spanish times, coal mining in this area of the Rio Grande above Laredo dates to the early 19th century. Coal was floated down river on barges or hauled overland until the Pecos and Rio Grande Railroad was constructed by Alexander C. Hunt to reach the coal mines
upriver. Welsh mining engineer David Darwin Davis discovered coal veins in Webb County. Davis was named superintendent of the Cannel Coal Company in 1888, with headquarters in the new town of Cannel.
Listen to the audio guide for Black plaque № 17508 Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off