At the end of the 19th century, "the valley of Walnut Creek was one long mining camp, known under different names, "Jerome", "Diamond", "Mystic", "Clarksdale", "Rathbun" and "Darby"" (later known as "Darbyville"). A. M. Elgin opened the first coal mine in the Mystic area in 1857. It was about 1.5 miles north of Mystic on Little Walnut Creek. The Mystic coal crack was seen on the surface there, and drifts were opened and left, over the next few decades until the hills were full with mines.