On Christmas Eve 1946, 125 mineworkers braved freezing temperatures to sing carols by candlelight at the Newkirk Tunnel near Tamaqua, PA. Their voices echoed through the snowy hills, forging a new holiday tradition underground. An unlikely yet moving scene of hope and unity. Read the full story.
In 1938, Tower City residents opened the Herald newspaper to despair: The Brookside Colliery - lifeblood of their town - was shut down as “unsafe and unprofitable.” Pillars robbed, tunnels flooded, 1,200 jobs vanished; families turned to relief, WPA, and bootleg mining. The mining era in Williams Valley's history was coming to an end. Read the full story.
This 1900 colorized postcard reveals a bustling colliery in northern Schuylkill County, where towering breakers and constant rail traffic powered America’s industrial age. \ Explore how Mahanoy City thrived on anthracite coal, fueling expansion until the industry’s decline in the mid-20th century. Read the full story.
The first funerals following the East Brookside Disaster in 1913 marked a beginning of mourning rituals following Schuylkill County's deadliest mine disaster.
This image from Schuylkill County is among the new additions to the Wynning History image collection.
A look at the perspectives of the mine workers of far western Schuylkill County as the 1902 coal strike began.
As influenza killed hundreds in Schuylkill County in 1918, volunteers stepped up to save lives.
Watching HBO's Deadwood and reflecting on similarities between the "Wild West" and Pennsylvania's Coal Region
The notorious Coal Region power broker died by his own hand in a Washington hotel room in 1889