This 1862 illustration captures the coal mines at Bear Gap during the Civil War, showing how industry, railroads, and labor shaped northern Dauphin County at a pivotal moment. For me, it brings a familiar landscape back to life as it once was. Read the full story.
This 1860s photograph captures mining operations at Bear Gap, where men, mules, and machines pulled anthracite from deep underground. It’ offers a look at how coal shaped daily life in Wiconisco Township during the Civil War era. Read the full story.
In 1831, a land sale took place at a coffee house in Philadelphia that launched coal mining operations in northern Dauphin County.
On the eve of the 1902 Coal Strike, the communities of Lykens and Wiconisco were ripped by tension as residents awaited news.
In May 1927, Henry Keiser described the Coal Region towns where he grew up as they looked in the 1850s.
When the Army of Northern Virginia invaded Pennsylvania in June 1863, the coal mines of the Keystone State were left vulnerable.
Gilliard Dock served as superintendent at several Pennsylvania coal mines between 1865 and 1870. His journal tells the story.