“Children of the Coal Shadow” – A haunting report about the children of the Coal Region from 1903

A gripping, harrowing story documents the lives and struggles of Coal Region children shortly after the Great Coal Strike of 1902.

Interviews with women during the 1900 Coal Strike reveal details of hardship and struggle in the patch towns near Hazleton

A women reporter documents the lives and struggles of working class women on the outskirts of Hazleton in 1900.

Remembering the local emergency response to the Porter Tunnel Disaster | March 1977

On March 1, 1977, water poured into the Porter Tunnel mine in western Schuylkill County. Emergency crews raced to the scene.

Charles Miner’s description of the mining industry in Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley – 1830 (Part One)

Early industrialist and political power broker Charles Miner describes the opportunity for the future of the mining industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Coal Region’s economic woes featured in book: “The Year of Peril: America in 1942”

Miners and soldiers in Pennsylvania during World War II.

In Tracy Campbell's 2020 book, the author uses the examples from the anthracite coal fields to show how our national myths about World War II often miss the mark.

A colorized postcard of the West Shenandoah Colliery

This image from Schuylkill County is among the new additions to the Wynning History image collection.

Sketches of the Coal Region from 1877

These remarkable sketches show life in the Coal Region during the middle part of the 19th century, a crucial time in the area's history.

“Among the Coal Mines” – A trip into the Coal Region in 1877

Miners preparing a blast in the Coal Region of Pennsylvania

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.

Fire at Kalmia Colliery in Schuylkill County nearly claimed lives | December 1871

In December 1871, a devastating fire nearly claimed lives at the Kalmia Colliery in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Flames swept through the breaker, trapping miners and sparking rumors of arson by the Molly Maguires in this turbulent era of coal industry violence in Pennsylvania history. Read the Full Story.

A Thanksgiving sermon in the aftermath of the 1902 Coal Strike

Breaker boys in Pittston, PA in 1911

On Thanksgiving Day 1902, Reverend John Hensyl addressed a congregation in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, just weeks after the end of the historic 1902 Coal Strike. His sermon focused on the harsh realities faced by the region’s mineworkers and called attention to the systemic poverty that plagued working families. Hensyl’s message reflected the growing Progressive Era call for institutional reform to address the inequities created by powerful corporations. Explore how this pivotal moment in labor history was echoed in the pulpit. Read the full story.