In the late 1800s and early 1900s, extractive industries became important in the region, especially the cutting of timber and coal mining. In recent years, historians have worked to document life in the coal camps as it was in the early 20th century because many of these communities have since been abandoned or demolished. As the coal industry became more mechanized, the number of jobs has decreased but mining has become very high-tech. The coalfield region has experienced a significant loss of population over the last generation, resulting in shrinking political representation and a variety of local issues, including the need to consolidate schools.