In the autumn of 1933, dramatic scenes were taking place on the southwestern end of Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal fields. Amid the Great Depression, the Susquehanna Collieries Company made the decision to abandon and dismantle the Short Mountain Colliery near Lykens, in Dauphin County.

This decision permanently destroyed the livelihoods of more than 1,000 workers and threatened the future for this once thriving community.

Workers decided to make a stand. After the decision was made by the company, mineworkers and citizens protested by occupying the colliery site and blocking roads to the mine at Bear Gap.

The town held parades and rallies to draw attention to the issue and local business owners made efforts to purchase the mine from the company.

The caption on the above photo, which ran in the Harrisburg Evening News on October 23, 1933, reads:

“Determined to prevent abandonment of Lykens’ chief industry, the Short Mountain Colliery of the Susquehanna Collieries Company, some of the miners who are picketing the 100-year-old mine to prevent the removal of machinery by the company are shown here in front of the breaker.

Unemployed since last December, when the colliery was closed, the miners have appealed to the Department of Labor at Washington for aid in effecting a plan whereby operation might be resumed.”

Every offer was refused and the Department of Labor pleaded that it was unable to intercede in this private business decision. The mine was fully abandoned and dismantled in 1934.

Many of the workers thrown out of work by the Susquehanna Collieries Company turned to bootleg and independent mining at the edges of the Short Mountain Colliery. Others were forced to move their families away from the Coal Region in search of work elsewhere. They were fighting for their very survival.

Read a 1937 article about how Lykens and Wiconisco were faring 3 years after the colliery closed

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