Oakbank – A Prosperous Company Village

Oakbank was constructed in 1864 to house the workers of the Shale boom in the surrounding area.. The largest of the lost villages, It reached a population of over 1,000, supported by 165 houses in 1917.

It boasted an aerial ropeway that transported shale from the Dedridge mine and featured significant facilities, including a school (opened in 1901), a bowling green, and an Institute Hall.

However, the village’s history was marked by a tragic fire in 1921 that claimed three lives and left eleven families homeless. The last resident, Mrs. Shearer, who kept the village shop, moved out in 1984.