In May 1929, some of the anthracite industry believed mining was about to make a comeback. They were wrong.
“Big Change Now At Hand” – The Coal Region in the late 1920s
Grievances of Williamstown miners against the Pennsylvania Railroad Company – 1886
"We are men and all we ask is to be treated as such," wrote the miners in a public letter published during their 1886 strike.
Remembering the Stockton Mine Disaster – December 18, 1869
On December 18, 1869, six people were killed when a mine cave-in swallowed their homes in Luzerne County.
“The lonely valley was alive with workers” – The Mahanoy Valley in 1874
A newspaper correspondent gives a history of the mining industry in northern Schuylkill County.
Interview with a survivor of the 1904 Williamstown Colliery Disaster
David Watkeys was pulled unconscious from the Williamstown Tunnel on May 25, 1904. He survived to tell his story.
Incredible photographs document the Maple Hill mine near Shenandoah in 1938
As we've previously documented here at Wynning History, photographer Sheldon Dick came to the Coal Region in 1938 to photograph the people and places that made up the cultural landscape in this struggling industrial area. Dick centered his efforts for the Farm Security Administration project around the Schuylkill County community of Shenandoah. Read our story … Continue reading Incredible photographs document the Maple Hill mine near Shenandoah in 1938
May Day 1916 – When anthracite mineworkers earned the 8 hour workday
On May 1, 1916, miners in the Coal Region earned the 8 hour workday, successfully ending decades of advocacy and protest.
Video: A short history of Williamstown Tunnel in northern Dauphin County
Our first Facebook Live video gives a short history of Williamstown Tunnel at the southwestern border of the Coal Region
Online resource from Penn State allows easy access to mine inspectors’ reports from 1870 to 1979
Penn State University hosts a webpage that provides easy access to Annual Report of Mines from 1870 to 1979.
“A first-class breaker” – Photographs of Williamstown Colliery in the 1860s
Isaac Kunkel photographed the Williamstown Colliery in 1860s and documented the birth of a new town.
