Alexander Campbell’s 1877 wake wasn’t the wild scene newspapers loved to imagine. A reporter found a quiet house, women keeping vigil, and men talking in low voices after the execution of 10 Molly Maguires. But his funeral the next day drew one of the biggest crowds the Coal Region had ever seen. Behind the legends, a far more human story comes into focus. Read the full story.
Illustration from 1873 shows operations on the Lehigh Canal
Explore an 1877 journey into Pennsylvania's Coal Region through a detailed article from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Monthly. Discover the rich history of anthracite coal mining, the picturesque town of Mauch Chunk, the famed Gravity Railroad, and insights into the era's industrial life, including the notorious Molly Maguires. Read the full story.
James Fuller Queen sketched a scene of the Carbon County mining and shipping hub on the Lehigh River before the Civil War.
As anthracite mines became increasingly electrified, mine mules began to disappear from the Coal Region.