Illustration shows miners, mules at work in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region | 1873

Coal Train pulled by mules in a Pennsylvania coal mine.

This rare Harper’s Weekly illustration shows a mule team hauling loaded coal cars in Pennsylvania’s anthracite tunnels. Discover the vital role these animals played, the miles they trekked underground, and the grit of the miners who relied on them. 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.