A dispatch to the New York Times from August 1874 details life and work in the thriving Dauphin County mining community.
A New York Times correspondent’s 1874 visit to Wiconisco Township
As Confederates invaded Pennsylvania in 1863, the coal mines of northern Dauphin County were in chaos
When the Army of Northern Virginia invaded Pennsylvania in June 1863, the coal mines of the Keystone State were left vulnerable.
“Cheering, shouting and rejoicing” – A Pennsylvanian’s experience at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865
Sergeant Henry Keiser's diary reveals a soldier's perspective of the Civil War's dramatic final moments.
“Baseball fever” – Williams Valley’s 1906 season featured pro players, violent fans
In 1906, a small valley in Pennsylvania's Coal Region caught a case of baseball fever. The towns were never the same again.
“We want a vigorous prosecution of the war” – Chaplain calls for hard war against Confederacy in 1863
"I pronounce this rebellion wicked," thundered John Chandler Gregg in a speech given in Wiconisco, Pennsylvania.
“This community sustains a great loss” – A fatal mine disaster in Wiconisco Township during the Civil War
On February 7, 1862, a roof collapsed inside the Short Mountain Colliery killing a respected miner and wounding several others.
Williamstown Tunnel – A closer look at a Pennsylvania coal mine in the 1860s
Williamstown Tunnel began shipping coal from Northern Dauphin County in 1866 and became the most prosperous coal mine in the state.
Miners’ revolt in Schuylkill County during the Civil War caused headaches for Abraham Lincoln
Shortly after the Battle of Antietam in 1862, the Lincoln administration faced a crisis on the home front in Pennsylvania.
Investigating the 1877 Lykens Mine Fire – The Pennsylvania Mine Inspector’s Report
The Pennsylvania Inspectors of Mines report details findings about the devastating mine fire in the Short Mountain Colliery in Wiconisco Twp.
Williamstown High School football star killed in the Battle of the Bulge in 1945
Private Joe Cooper died in combat on January 4, 1945 near the village of Flamierge, Belgium.
Wynning History 