Acton Mine Disaster: Part of the History of Riverchase

By Linda Joseph

On November 18, 1913, a large explosion shook the Acton #2 mine. The likely cause was a flame inadvertently set near a pocket of gas as the miners broke through a new chamber. Even though the mine was considered well-ventilated and equipped, it was no match for this volatile combination.

A rescue truck was immediately called, but the closest one was in Birmingham. With no paved roads over the 24 miles of mountainous terrain, it took over three hours to arrive. By the time the families of the miners gathered, awaiting news, darkness had enveloped the small community of Acton.

The explosion took the lives of 24 men with only five known to have survived. Most died instantly, others from the toxic gasses produced at the time of the explosion.

The little company town of Acton sprang up in response to the mining activities established by the Alabama Fuel and Iron Company.  The mine itself, one of the largest in the area, was conveniently located on a branch of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Men and their families lived there in company housing.

Acton #2 was constructed with numerous shafts connected by a main walkway. This walkway led underground from near the cul-de-sac at the bottom of the hill on Tulip Poplar Lane to not far from where Riverchase ends near the Riverchase Community Church.

The mine closed in 1926. A carved wooden sign leading to Riverchase Golf Course Hole # 6 explains that this golf path, cut through steep walls of rock, was previously the train track that brought coal from the mine. 

The location of a cemetery where at least one of the miners was buried is still a mystery. Perhaps it’s on a nearby hill or the hill that overlooks the golf course. Or maybe, at the time, mourners picked a more peaceful site overlooking the river.

 

Wayne Blanchard, 1913 – Nov 18, Acton, No 2 Coal Mine Dust Explosion (blown-out-shot), Deadliest American Disasters and Large-Loss-of-Life Events. Last edited 12-1-2025.   https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/1913-nov-18-acton-no-2-coal-mine-dust-explosion-blown-out-shot-acton-al-24/

Hoover Historical Society, The Town of Acton Was Located in Shelby County. https://hooverhistoricalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/122/2023/01/Acton-for-HHS-website.pdf

Men Buried Alive in Mine Explosion. San Jose Mercury, vol.85,No.142, 19 November 1913. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SJMN19131119.2.7&e=——-en–20–1–txt-txIN——–