In June 1877, Schuylkill County Prison in Pottsville prepared for the largest mass execution in Pennsylvania history, hanging six men accused of being Molly Maguires. Controversial trials, largely based on Pinkerton detective James McParlan’s testimony, left lingering doubts about whether the executions were justice or a crackdown on Irish labor activism. Read the story.
Explore a rare Library of Congress photo capturing Pittston’s coal-dominated landscape around 1900. Spot the notorious Twin Shaft Colliery—scene of an 1896 disaster that claimed 58 miners’ lives—and see how it sparked demands for safer working conditions. A revealing glimpse into Northeastern Pennsylvania’s anthracite past. Read the full story.
The remains of Sergeant Orlando Vincenti, a coal miner from Carbondale, PA returned home in June 1949 for a solemn military funeral after falling in his B‑17 “Aw‑R‑Go” raid over Muenster, Germany, in 1943. Read the full story.
On the anniversary of Joseph Workman's death during the Civil War, I'm remembering the Wiconisco native who joined the 96th Pennsylvania in 1861. Wounded at South Mountain and captured at Spotsylvania, he succumbed to his wounds in Confederate-controlled Richmond. His weathered monument in Calvary United Methodist Cemetery is a reminder to remember the young man who died for his country. Read the full story.
Discover a rare photograph capturing locomotive “George P. Upton” hauling anthracite along the Lykens Valley Railroad. Explore Bear Gap’s bustling mines, the route to Millersburg, and how Lykens Valley coal powered East Coast cities. Read the full story.
This rare etching by John Rubens Smith offers a glimpse of Pottsville before it exploded into an industrial hub. Discover how the Schuylkill Canal, emerging railroads, and booming anthracite mines transformed this once-quiet valley into a pivotal Coal Region center. Read the full story.
Meet Joseph Puma, a young Sicilian immigrant caught in the harsh world of Pennsylvania coal mining in 1911. Captured by Lewis Hine’s lens, his story spans from the dark tunnels of Pittston to serving overseas during World War I. Read the full story.
Discover how one photograph from 1940, featuring my great-grandfather in the independent mines of Williams Valley, reflects my own lifelong interest in Pennsylvania’s anthracite heritage. Learn how his passion for mining lore became part of my own. Read the full story.
A 1982 PBS documentary reveals how a routine trash-burning ignited an unstoppable mine fire beneath Centralia, Pennsylvania. Witness the fierce debates over the town’s future, the heartache of evacuations, and the haunting remnants that remain. Read the full story.
Discover how this neatly laid-out mining operation near Wilkes-Barre employed up to 1,000 workers, running multiple breakers and a record-length tunnel. Explore the ambitious growth fueling Pennsylvania’s Civil War era coal boom. Read the full story.