Mary Lee Mines Owner

I need to find out who the pre-1886 owners of the Mary Lee Mines (a coal mine) in Lewisburg, Jefferson County,AL were.

My late aunt gave me a wedding photo of my great grandparents, William Jackson Watkins and Virginia Skidmore "Skiddie" Adams, and told me the following story:

Skiddie married a man (possibly Adams, although that might be a maiden name) who owned the Mary Lee Mines. He died and she inherited the mine. Sometime around 1886, Skiddie married William Jackson Watkins. Skiddie died sometime after 1891 and William inherited the mine. He had a rare kidney ailment and high medical bills, so he sold the mine. He was told by the new owners that he and his family could continue living in the house on the property as long as they wanted.

I know that someone (probably William Jackson) sold the mine to the Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron Company in 1899.

I haven't been able to find Skiddie in any census record under any of the above mentioned surnames, so now my only hope of finding her true identity seems to rest on finding out who the pre-1886 owners of the Mary Lee Mines were.

Can anyone help? Thanks

Carolyn Hodge