Taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s, this rare photograph looks across Pottsville at a city in transition—before its skyline fully took shape. From Coal Street, familiar landmarks reveal how power, industry, and ambition shaped the town we know today. Read the full story.
A single photograph from the 1920s captures a mine rescue team standing at the mouth of Big Lick Tunnel – and, just behind them, the old “plane” that once hauled coal cars up Big Lick Mountain toward the Williamstown breaker. Today, only ruins remain on the hillside, but this image offers a sharp glimpse back at the days when the colliery dominated Williams Valley. Read the full story.
In 1911, activist Lewis Hine found 13-year-old Willie Brieden working as a nipper 500 feet underground in Pittston, PA - alone in the dark, opening heavy doors as gas hissed nearby. Days later, Willie was home sick, coughing from endless hours in the damp mine. A childhood bent to anthracite's demands, captured in one image. Read the full story.
Journey back to 1910 Pottsville with this rare postcard of the Morris Building - home to the historic Dives, Pomeroy, & Stewart department store and Gowen Post #23 of the Grand Army of the Republic. Captured during a women’s event at the corner of Mahantango and Centre streets. Read more of the story.
Check out a rare early-20th-century snapshot of the Kehley Run Colliery UMWA band in Shenandoah, where future Big Band legends Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey first learn to play. This remarkable union band photo captures a fascinating moment in labor and musical history. Read the full story
In this 1864 photo, the USS Canonicus ironclad refuels with anthracite coal, the almost-smokeless fuel from Pennsylvania’s Coal Region that powered the Union blockade during the Civil War. Discover how this vital resource helped shape naval strategy and fueled dramatic changes across Northeastern Pennsylvania. Read the full story.
A 1942 photo captures a coal miner’s joy as he collects his paycheck in West Pittston, PA during World War II. Learn how miners balanced booming wartime demand with labor strikes, Federal seizure of mines, and a landmark UMWA settlement in 1943. Read the full story.
A photograph by Isaac Kunkel shows the mining community of Lykens, Pennsylvania in the years after the Civil War. The image is among the earliest taken of this northern Dauphin County community. Read the full story.
A newly digitized Library of Congress portrait brings Captain Jacob Haas of Company G, 96th Pennsylvania into stunning focus. Taken by Pottsville photographer A.M. Allen, this Civil War image captures the resolve of a Coal Region officer. Discover Haas’s story and his regiment’s legacy in our latest post. Read the full story.
A photograph of Corporal Harry Kimmel appeared in a July 1942 edition of the West Schuylkill Press-Herald of Tremont, PA. Learn more about the World War II soldier from Donaldson, PA. Read the full story.