Former operations The
coal deposit was initially identified in the vicinity of the village of
Gouhenans during the 18th century. In November 1776, the intendant of Franche-Comté and Minister
Henri Bertin initiated a correspondence to authorize the exploitation of the Gouhenan's coal. However, the mining operations ultimately ceased in April 1780 due to the prevalence of water infiltration. The exploitation of the deposit was restarted for the first time in 1819. Initially, four shafts and a gallery on the hillside, owned by Messrs. Berthod and Latmotz de Bithaine, were constructed north of Mont, not far from
Val-de-Gouhenans.
Renewed exploitation ), dug and operated by the Gouhenans mines to supply the saltworks in the 1910s. A third concession was granted on 30 July 1828, In 1833, the average monthly production was 4,693 quintals, which was entirely consumed by the saltworks. The operation was terminated in 1835 as a consequence of the prohibition on salt production. The workforce was reduced to 17 individuals, comprising those assigned to maintenance and water pumping. This was a reduction from the usual complement of 85. Subsequently, extraction was conducted in shafts No. 4 and No. 5. Shaft No. 4 served as the primary extraction shaft from 1839 to 1869. In 1864, the production amounted to 9,983.8 tons of coal, sold at 0.90 francs per quintal. Shaft No. 11 was the most productive from 1873 to 1893, after which shaft No. 15 assumed that role until 1899. The cessation of coal mining was first documented in 1900, following the premature closure of shaft No. 15 due to flooding. The resumption of mining activity occurred in 1906, following the abandonment of the , initially through a
descender and subsequently through shafts No. 13 and 17. The final cessation of coal mining occurred in 1921. In 1923, the representative of the Société minière et industrielle de Gouhenans, Mr. Gaillard, formally requested the . This request was subsequently approved by decree on 17 February 1925. region granted to exploit the
Keuperian basin.
Shaft No. 1 Shaft No. 1 was constructed in 1826 and reached a depth of 11 meters below the surface, where coal deposits were encountered. Subsequently, the shaft was extended to a depth of 12 meters. This shaft was situated to the east of the future saltworks, at a location
designated as Chintres-du-Chanois. The shaft was timbered with a rectangular section measuring 2.65 meters by 1.32 meters. It was abandoned in January 1833 due to excessive water infiltration. It was subsequently restarted in July after the dewatering of the works. In November 1834, the shaft was divided into three compartments (two for extraction, one for personnel) by two wooden partitions. Shaft No. 1 was permanently abandoned in 1839, and Shaft No. 4 was subsequently restarted to succeed it. Examination of the area surrounding the shaft at the beginning of the 21st century revealed the presence of several spoil heaps and mounds. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 1 de Gouhenans - 01.JPG|The slag heap at shaft no. 1. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 1 de Gouhenans - 02.JPG
Shafts No. 2 and No. 3 ; Shafts No. 2 and No. 3 were constructed close to shaft No. 1; but they were subsequently decommissioned.
Shafts No. 4 and No. 8 ; Shaft No. 4 was constructed in 1828. The initial equipment installed at the site was a four-
horsepower boiler. A 12-horsepower
steam engine was installed in a building constructed in May 1837 to facilitate the extraction and pumping of minerals from the shaft. The two boilers were supplied with water from an underground stream located beneath the engine building. In 1839, the shaft was restarted to replace shaft No. 1. Before marketing the coal, it was washed to remove the
iron sulfide it contained. In May, it was the only active shaft and suffered a water influx of 2,200 hectoliters per day. In 1847, the shaft yard comprised eight
settling basins, a modest stable, and a
gypsum kiln. Shaft No. 8, designated "Shafts de-la-Chèvre" due to its smaller size and basic construction featuring a manual winch, served as an exploratory shaft. It was constructed near the basins and buildings associated with Shaft No. 4. Located 60 meters southeast of Shaft No. 4, Shaft No. 8 reached a depth of 19 meters. It was extended through further exploratory works but ultimately abandoned in 1848 due to the inconclusive nature of the results obtained. Meanwhile, Shaft No. 4 yielded 81,241 quintals over the year, with 300 of these sold to local
farriers. In 1850, the only operational shaft was No. 4. The extracted coal was subjected to
washing to separate it from the accompanying
gypsum and
pyrite. The material was initially screened to separate the larger pieces and then sorted by hand. The remaining fines were washed in a shaker screen and a vibrating table. The
waste material was then subjected to a crushing and washing process in a small shaker screen, and the fines were passed through a mesh filter. The material was then subjected to a second washing process, this time between two cast iron pulleys, to extract the pyrite, which was subsequently used in the chemical factory for the production of
sulfuric acid. A total of nine individuals were engaged in the coal-washing process, while a further seven were employed in pyrite washing. In 1853, the works were organized around a gallery measuring 417 meters in length, which served the shaft. At the surface, the
colliery was equipped with an
extraction machine, two extraction pumps, two backup pumps, an ore crusher, two large coal screens, and coal and pyrite washers. Its depth was 80 meters. On June 26, 1854, a 19-year-old
rouleur died of a
cerebral hemorrhage following the fall of a shale block. In 1859, a new 15-horsepower steam engine was installed for extraction and drainage. In the same year, shaft No. 8 was operational with its small tripod headframe, extracting low-quality coal and mainly
pyrite. A catastrophic incident in this shaft resulted in the deaths of four miners, the youngest of whom was only 13 years old. This shaft was subsequently decommissioned. At the beginning of the 21st century, the spoil heap, the site of shaft No. 4, and the remains of building ruins are still visible at the forest edge. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 4 Gouhenans - 02.JPG|Location of shaft No. 4. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 4 Gouhenans - 07.JPG|Detail of a ruined building. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 4 Gouhenans - 06.JPG|Uprooted bricks. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 4 Gouhenans - 05.JPG|Wall base. The spoil heap is the most imposing of all the
operations in the Keuper basin. The longest-lived shaft, across all companies, is No. 4, with a lifespan of 30 years. The heap measures 20 to 60 meters wide, 265 meters long, and peaks at approximately 10 meters high, situated just opposite the shaft. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 4 Gouhenans - 15.JPG|Scope. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 4 Gouhenans - 17.JPG|End. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 4 Gouhenans - 04.JPG|Plunging view. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 4 Gouhenans - 19.JPG|Path cutting the slag heap in two. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 4 Gouhenans - 00.JPG|High point.
Shaft No. 5 This 15-meter-deep shaft, designated as Ventilated Shaft No. 6, was constructed in December 1833. Following its establishment, it was connected to Shaft No. 4, which was ventilated using a wooden chimney and subsequently replaced with a metal one. The shaft had a rectangular section measuring 2.66 meters by 1.33 meters. From 1833 onwards, the quality and quantity of coal extracted exhibited a decline. In 1837, coal was extracted from the old workings of shaft No. 5 using the room and pillar method, as well as from the faulted area of shaft No. 1. This resulted in the extraction of 17,614 quintals of coal, despite the challenging circumstances, until the end of the year. Upon reaching a depth of 25 meters, the poor quality of the rocks and the abundance of water resulted in the shaft's abandonment. In 1852, a railway was constructed to connect the shaft to the saltworks, which commenced operations with an 8 hp steam engine and two cast iron pumps, reaching a depth of 36.5 meters. The site also housed a
master miner's residence. This colliery was operational from September 1864 to February 1874. With a depth of 37.60 meters, the shaft was equipped with a 30-hp steam engine and exploited a 0.60-meter-thick layer of high-quality coal. In August 1866, flooding of the galleries situated to the south of the mine was caused by the ingress of water from Shaft No. 4. This was successfully resolved after 12 days of pumping. It was imperative to prioritize coal extraction in this area due to the imminent threat of flooding. This phase of the project was concluded in late 1867. As the works approached Shaft No. 9 in November 1866, the coal encountered was increasingly hard and pyritic, separated by an increasing layer of barren material. In November 1867, one of the boilers was found to be leaking, necessitating repairs. Arm towers were installed on each shaft compartment to facilitate the continued extraction of coal at a rate of 45 tons per day. In December 1867, a gallery was constructed to exploit a coal mass that had been left by Shaft No. 1. On 5 January 1868, the
extraction machine's spindle was fractured in two locations due to the presence of defective sleeves. This resulted in a
cart colliding with the sump following the rupture of the loading chamber. The released cable ascended, departed from the
bilge, and wrapped around the spool. The repairs were conducted over five days, using the configuration from the preceding boiler alteration to prevent disruption to the extraction process. In February, the endeavors directed towards Shaft No. 9 were terminated due to the inferior quality of the coal; conversely, the endeavors directed towards the outcrops of Shaft No. 1 were successful in exploiting a highly superior quality seam. In January and February 1870, the
headframe, which overlooked the surrounding plains, was used by
Prussian troops as an observation point during the
Battle of Villersexel. The shaft was exhausted in February 1872, rendering it inadequate for ensuring salt production. The subsequent shafts in operation were No. 11 and 13. As of the early 21st century, the
spoil heap and the shaft's location can be found on the outskirts of a forested area. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 10 Gouhenans - 01.JPG|Shaft location. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 10 Gouhenans - 06.JPG|The spoil heap.
Shaft No. 11 Following its submission on 5 August 1871, an application for authorization to commence excavation of Shaft No. 11 was approved on 8 September. Subsequently, exploratory drilling of No. 19 was initiated. At a depth of 75.34 meters, exploratory drilling intersected a coal seam measuring 0.9 meters in thickness. marking the first accident attributed to the use of powder. A year later, the shaft had 24 workings, each measuring 8 meters in width. In January 1876, production reached 932 tons, declining to 868 tons in February and 906 tons in March. The water inflow was 100 cubic meters per day. By August 1876, the shaft had 21 workings served by two large haulage galleries. That same year, a
cast iron pipe was installed to send mine water to the saltworks stream, which flowed into the
Ognon. The coal was transported from the mine shaft to the surface via
skips and
mine carts. The workings, which reached a depth of approximately one hundred meters, were subject to regular inspection by the mine guard until the shaft's closure in 1893. Removal of the specified area was compensated at a rate per square meter. The miners were required to provide their lighting and purchase
powder from the operators, who provided timber at no additional cost. Ventilation was provided by fresh air descending into the extraction shaft, distributed among the east and west worksites, and then rising through a duct in the ladder compartment. In 1889, the shaft employed 29 miners, 13 haulers, 3 mule drivers, and a hookman, with 16 workings in operation. In 1890, the two historical exploitation sectors of the shaft (East and West) merged into one. File:Plan du puits n° 11 Gouhenans - Crop.JPG|Ground plan of the shaft installations. File:Plan chantiers puits n° 11 et 15.JPG|Work plan for shafts No. 11 and 15. Extraction of the shaft ceased in 1893 and the facility was definitively closed in 1899, following the implementation of procedures to ensure the safety of workers and the
ventilation in Shaft No. 15. During the dismantling process, a large horizontal
boiler with two heaters was transferred to a chemical factory, repainted, and maintained for potential resale. Ultimately, the boiler was
scrapped in 1936 by the Rollin Company of Lure. At the beginning of the 21st century, the
spoil heap and a substantial collapse at the shaft location are visible. A lengthy spoil heap, measuring four meters in height and intersected by two bridges, connects it to Shaft No. 15. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 11 de Gouhenans - 04.JPG|Shaft sunk and blocked by branches. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 11 de Gouhenans - 02.JPG|The spoil heap at shaft No. 11. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 11 de Gouhenans - 05.JPG|The spoil heap.
Shaft No. 12 Shaft No. 12 is a
ventilation shaft dug in 1873 and used until 1899. At the beginning of the 21st century, a funnel remains at the shaft's location along Departmental Road 18, which bisects the spoil heap. File:2015-05 - Puits n° 12 Gouhenans - 02.JPG|Shaft location. File:2015-05 - Puits n° 12 Gouhenans - 04.JPG|The spoil heap, north side. File:2015-05 - Puits n° 12 Gouhenans - 03.JPG|Rocks making up the spoil heap. File:2015-05 - Puits n° 12 Gouhenans - 08.JPG|The spoil heap split in two by the RD 18.
Shaft No. 13 In October 1873, a request for information regarding the location in question was submitted to the local population. Following the acquisition of multiple plots, the commencement of excavation took place on 22 October. The initial coal seam was located by a nearby exploratory drill at a depth of 36.65 meters. The shaft came into contact with a geological fault. The coal seam was found to have a thickness of 0.6 meters. The shaft was completed in 1874 using a
horse engine. The shaft was equipped with a new headframe and a 15-horsepower horizontal two-cylinder extraction engine. A pump operated by a
portable steam engine was employed to contain the water inflow, which exhibited a range of 25 to 30 cubic meters per day. The exploitation plan then provided that Shaft No. 13 would extract the coal necessary for the saltworks factories' operation, while Shaft No. 11 would extract coal for commercial sale. The exploitation of shafts ceased around 1888 due to the occurrence of terrain faults. In 1911, the former exploratory shaft was reopened to exploit the sector of the opened New Shaft No. 17, which had been initiated in 1909. Shaft No. 13 was rectangular in section, measuring 3.50 meters by 1.35 meters, and had a depth of 50 meters. A new
headframe was constructed, comprising a wooden
structure through which metal cables, operated by an electric winch, passed. Shaft No. 13 was then designated as the extraction shaft, while Shaft No. 17, which was less deep and situated in closer proximity to the workings, served as the means of descent for the workers. File:Puits n° 13 Gouhenans 02.jpg|Rehabilitation of the shaft. File:Puits n° 13 Gouhenans 03.jpg|Same view with the final headframe. File:Puits n° 13 Gouhenans 04 - Crop.jpg|Close-up view. The
steiger's residence, situated adjacent to the roadway, was dismantled in 1989. Several modest wooden structures, including the
lamp room, also ceased to exist during this period. In the early 21st century, the debris pile and the site of the shaft were transformed into a modest private park. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 13 Gouhenans - 01.JPG|Shaft location. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 13 Gouhenans - 08.JPG|The spoil heap. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 13 Gouhenans - 09.JPG
Shaft No. 14 In October 1879, the workforce at well no. 11 made an unexpected discovery: borehole No. 15. The location was designated as the hooking chamber for the future shaft No. 14. The sinking of the shaft was completed in March 1880. At approximately 48 meters deep, it serves for ventilation and access to the works of shaft No. 11. At the beginning of the 21st century, a large funnel remains at the site of the shaft, at the edge of the woods. Only a portion of the spoil heap remains. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 14 de Gouhenans - 01.JPG|Shaft location. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 14 de Gouhenans - 03.JPG|Spoil heap.
Shaft No. 15 Following the depletion of the deposit exploited by shaft No. 11, the board of directors resolved to commence excavation of shaft No. 15 on 18 March 1889. The sinking of the well commenced in September 1889 in the vicinity of shaft No. 11. The well is circular with a diameter of 3.5 meters and is lined with variegated
sandstone blocks. This shaft is solely used for the extraction of minerals, with miners using shaft No. 11 to access the work sites. The shaft reached a depth of 68 meters and commenced operation in 1893, encountering coal at that depth. The shaft is exploited by caving, with coal extracted from right to left along the galleries. Then, the coal is transported on the surface by a motorized inclined plane to shaft No. 11, and subsequently by rail to the saline. Additionally, dewatering water is conveyed to shaft No. 11 via cast iron pipes after being
decanted. In 1899, the shaft experienced a water inflow of 750 m³ per day, resulting in its premature abandonment after six years of exploitation. At the beginning of the 21st century, the location of the shaft is marked by the remaining opening and
spoil heap. The shaft No. 15 site has been developed and integrated into the walking circuit titled "Between Salt and Coal", which was later renamed "The Way of Salt and Coal." Charles Semonin constructed a model of the shaft's
headframe, which is currently housed at SHAARL, the Historical and Archaeological Society of the
Arrondissement of Lure. File:2015-03 - Puits n° 15 de Villafans 08.jpg|The former shaft No. 15 has been refurbished. File:2015-03 - Puits n° 15 de Villafans 06.jpg|Detail of the masonry hole. File:2015-03 - Puits n° 15 de Villafans 01.jpg|Danger sign. File:2015-03 - Puits n° 15 de Villafans 14.jpg|General view of the spoil heap.
Shaft No. 16 Shaft No. 16, designated "Échalais well", was excavated between 13 January 1897, and 16 April of the following year. It was used until 1898, after which it was inundated by substantial water inflows. Its depth is 41.63 meters. In the early 21st century, a spoil heap and a funnel remain at the shaft site, situated on the periphery of a minor road. File:2015-05 - Puits n° 16 Gouhenans - 02.JPG|Shaft location. File:2015-05 - Puits n° 16 Gouhenans - 03.JPG|Spoil heap. File:2015-05 - Puits n° 16 Gouhenans - 05.JPG
Shaft No. 17 Exploitation resumed in 1906 in two distinct sectors: a descent shaft and Well No. 17, sunk at Chambrevin in May 1908. The research project commenced in 1909. Two galleries excavated to the northeast and southeast successfully identified the layer, which exhibited a thickness range of 60 to 90 centimeters. The shaft was used for a brief period for exploitation, yielding 10 tons of coal per day, before the installation and activation of shaft No. 13. Additionally, two tons of debris were removed daily. The debris was subsequently deposited on the opposite side of the Époisses road. In a location opposite the shaft, a further lengthy spoil heap was constructed in advance of the railway line, situated along the route of the path. A pump driven by a
locomotive was used to contain the water inflow at a rate of 3 m3/h. Approximately fifteen individuals were engaged in the coal mining operation. Eight
miners, one
hauler, four receivers at the base, and two
machinists on the surface were employed. The depth of the well, exclusive of the
bilge, is 26 meters. The shaft has a rectangular cross-section of 2 meters by 1 meter and is divided into two compartments: one for ladders with landings and the other for extraction. A steam winch is employed to operate the lift. Two small suction fans were utilized for ventilation purposes; however, in July 1909, a more powerful fan was installed as a
replacement. The landing area on the surface is designed and constructed in a manner that ensures protection from the elements. A multitude of galleries excavated within a 30-meter radius of the lower landing had to be filled in, as they posed a threat to the well's structural integrity. The aforementioned works were connected to shaft No. 13 by the end of 1911, thereby facilitating ventilation. In that same year, the well employed a total of 26 workers, including 12 miners and 4 haulers. The 400 tons extracted per month were entirely consumed by the saline. In 1912, well No. 13 became the extraction well, while shaft No. 17 served for worker descent (being less deep and closer to the worksites). In 1913, a layer with a thickness varying from 0.7 to 1 meter was identified west of the well by research conducted in a descent shaft. The well was the final one to be decommissioned in 1921. The buildings were demolished, and the well was backfilled between 1924 and 1925 by Mr. May. Only the wooden transformer building remained intact. The structure was struck by
lightning in the summer of 1928, resulting in its destruction by
fire. In 1993, it was confirmed that the galleries dug east of the well, under houses constructed throughout the 20th century, did not present subsidence risks as a thick layer of
limestone covered them. At the beginning of the 21st century, the two
spoil heaps, one reworked and the other overgrown, remain in situ. The well site is located at the corner of a private property. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 17 de Gouhenans - 10.JPG|Shaft location. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 17 de Gouhenans - 03.JPG|Reworked main spoil heap, now a residential area. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 17 de Gouhenans - 06.JPG|Secondary spoil heap. File:2015-04 - Puits n° 17 de Gouhenans - 04.JPG|Spoil heap rock. == Production ==