Kole, James Stephen "Steve" Jr.

Interview 313a: In this interview with Jonathan Gerland, James Stephen “Steve” Kole Jr. discusses what life was like on his family’s rice farm and his career in the Texas lignite coal industry. He talks about the early practices and challenges faced by Gulf Coast rice farmers, particularly the Kole Farm, near Winnie, Texas. Steve describes his efforts in the 1960s to save the farm after his father’s death, including the introduction of catfish farming. He mentions trying to start a new career, first in the restaurant business, then later as a salesman from 1975 to 1985, for various equipment companies, such as J. W. Bartholow Machinery Co. Waukesha-Pearce Industries, and Plains Machinery Company. Steve’s main customer, Texas Utilities, features prominently as a driving force in Texas’ replacement of natural gas with lignite coal for energy production. Steve concludes by providing details on his attempts to start his own business, the economic downturn of the 1980s, and his later work with articulated concrete blocks and erosion control materials. His story showcases the rise and decline of rice farming and lignite coal mining in Texas.