Consequently, Sandlick is the oldest settled point in Dickenson County. Most of the Edwards ancestors later settled in the Sandlick area. The early settlers owned small farms and lived off the land. When the railroad came to the area, industry became a possibility. Coal mining and lumbering became prominent industries.
Coal mining is one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States.
Many men have lost their lives due to mine explosions or cave-ins. There is a memorial located in Clinchco dedicated to the coal miners who have been lost due to the mines. Even if men survived the mines, many of them were later to succumb to black lung from breathing the coal dust years before. The first established church in Dickenson County was at Sandlick. It became known as Sandlick Primitive Baptist Church.