In 1877, a mine fire in Lykens, PA did more than just rage out of control underground. It threw 800 men out of work, left families destitute, and occurred amid one of the most explosive years in American labor history. This new video explores the human cost of disaster in the Coal Region. Watch the Video.
In the winter of 1874, as the nation slid into what became known as the Long Depression, Harper’s Weekly published a sketch titled Hard Coal for the Poor. It showed families huddled in the snow outside a coal dealer, forced to buy fuel by the bucket or quart because they couldn’t afford a stockpile. Coal prices soared each winter, leaving the poorest to pay the most for the barest survival—choosing between food and warmth. It’s a reminder of the harsh realities faced in America’s industrial cities during one of the country’s darkest economic downturns. Read the full story.