Rev. John Hensyl spoke to a packed crowd in Shenandoah's Presbyterian Church about poverty on Thanksgiving Day 1902.
A Thanksgiving sermon in the aftermath of the 1902 Coal Strike
Toxic gasses from a burning coal mine claimed the lives of two Tamaqua mining officials in 1858
Pennsylvania's anthracite coal fields have long been known for long-lasting mine fires. The most famous of these environmental disasters continues burning today beneath the empty town lots known as Centralia in Columbia County. Mine fires were a feared menace dating back to the first underground mines in the region. One of the early mine fires … Continue reading Toxic gasses from a burning coal mine claimed the lives of two Tamaqua mining officials in 1858
“As tempting…as California” – A traveler’s guide to Pottsville in 1852
A travel writer vividly described Pottsville and the surrounding region of Schuylkill County in 1852.
A New York Times reporter documents the turbulent situation in the Coal Region – 1863
In the spring of 1863, a journalist documented the chaotic and changing situation in the Coal Region as the Civil War raged on.
“The most populous and thrifty town in northern Pennsylvania” – Scranton in 1861
A profile of Scranton in 1861 describes a rapidly industrializing community on the eve of the Civil War.
“Due for a comeback?” – An address on the Coal Region on eve of Great Depression
Mining engineer Max Fredericks gave a prediction of a bright future for the anthracite industry the day before the stock market collapsed.
A powerful editorial from Pottsville’s black community – 1940
In the summer of 1940, a new minister at Pottsville's Bethel AME Church sought to reach out to the Coal Region's white community for economic cooperation.
“Big Change Now At Hand” – The Coal Region in the late 1920s
In May 1929, some of the anthracite industry believed mining was about to make a comeback. They were wrong.
Article in ‘The Atlantic’ highlights opioid addiction and economic distress in the Coal Region
Olga Khazan's January 2020 article highlights how depression, economic peril, and stress ushered in the opioid crisis in Northeastern PA.
Video: The Schuylkill Mall – Gone but not forgotten
In 2018, the Schuylkill Mall came crashing down. A YouTube documentary looks at the mall's history.
