These remarkable sketches show life in the Coal Region during the middle part of the 19th century, a crucial time in the area's history.
Sketches of the Coal Region from 1877
“Among the Coal Mines” – A trip into the Coal Region in 1877
Explore an 1877 journey into Pennsylvania's Coal Region through a detailed article from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Monthly. Discover the rich history of anthracite coal mining, the picturesque town of Mauch Chunk, the famed Gravity Railroad, and insights into the era's industrial life, including the notorious Molly Maguires. Read the full story.
“A very thrifty, interesting place” – A visit to Tamaqua during the Civil War
A travel writer made a detailed entry about Tamaqua, Pennsylvania in the summer of 1862.
An 1850s birds-eye view of Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania
James Fuller Queen sketched a scene of the Carbon County mining and shipping hub on the Lehigh River before the Civil War.
A New York Times reporter documents the turbulent situation in the Coal Region – 1863
In the spring of 1863, a journalist documented the chaotic and changing situation in the Coal Region as the Civil War raged on.
“Slated to go” – The end of the mine mule in the Coal Region
As anthracite mines became increasingly electrified, mine mules began to disappear from the Coal Region.