A historical bus tour of Richmond made its debut last weekend and was narrated by former history teacher Hal Middleton. The tour was hosted by the Ray County Museum and Ray County Arts Association. After departing from the museum, the initial view was that of a coal mine (number eight) located on Ruby Street. In 1815, coal was discovered in the county as an outcrop while a water well was dug. Many farms had coal mines for personal use and to generate extra income, as noted by Middleton. Soon, there were 52 mines in the county, 22 of them in Richmond. At the height of production, the mines employed 2,000 workers and produced 700 tons of bituminous coal daily. The shafts were up to 120 feet deep and three feet tall. Mines were paid up to $1.75 per ton in the early 1900s, stated Middleton. One of the largest mining companies in the area was The Pickering Company, which had five mines that employed 700 men. The Mercantile mine was 188 feet deep, while mine number eight was 95 feet…