 A combination of low quality coal from the Nortonville mines, water intrusion into the workings there, and the discovery and economical transport of higher-quality Washington coal to San Francisco spelled the demise of Nortonville in the early 1880s.The town was home to around 3,500 people by the early 1900s, many of them European immigrants; most of the working men were involved in producing coal.This coal was transported to Seattle via the Pacific Coast Coal train.