In the late 1920s, coal companies promised modernization. Instead, centralized breakers closed collieries and hollowed out towns like Mahanoy City and Shamokin. Jobs vanished and communities unraveled. In my latest article, I trace that collapse and ask what it warns us about warehouses, automation, and data centers today. Read the Full Story.
Travel back to 1863 Scranton through a striking Harper’s illustration revealing its smoky ironworks, bustling railroads, and crowded immigrant shanties as it powered the Union war machine in the Civil War. The contrast between humble huts and wealthy homes illustrates gritty industrial life and class divide in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region in the 19th century. Read the full story.
In May 1847, the first telegraphic message passed between Pottsville and Philadelphia, ushering in a new era in the Coal Region.
On February 7, 1862, a roof collapsed inside the Short Mountain Colliery killing a respected miner and wounding several others.
Industrialist Henry Thomas worked with infamous Pennsylvania politicians to develop the coal trade in Williams Valley during the Civil War.
The Upper Dauphin Register describes the booming coal business in Wiconisco Township and predicts a bright future for its "inexhaustible mines."
The disgraced Secretary of War often invested in industrial ventures in Pennsylvania.