Discover mid-19th century Pottsville as Schuylkill County’s industrial heart: surrounded by anthracite mines, its iron works churned out pumps and engines fueling the coal trade and railroads. Illustrated maps and photos bring these bygone factories to life. Step back into Pottsville’s smoky past. 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.
Explore the Port Carbon Iron Works as depicted in an 1864 illustration from Schuylkill County. Discover this Civil War-era industrial site, owned by T.H. Wintersteen. Read the full story.
A profile of Scranton in 1861 describes a rapidly industrializing community on the eve of the Civil War.