In December 1935, Rebecca Wylie’s death closed a chapter of Coal Region memory. She was the last widow of the Avondale Mine Disaster, where 110 men and boys perished in 1869. Her first husband, Andrew Frothingham, died that day - his eyes “staring wide open.” She carried the loss for life. Read the full story.
In 1892, a Halloween prank in Plymouth, PA backfired when a would-be “ghost” tried to spook trolley crews on night-time duty. Instead of fleeing in terror, the motormen and conductors grabbed the costumed prankster and hauled him aboard. The joke ended with an unmasked walk home. Read the full story.
During the Great 1902 Coal Strike, entire families in Plymouth, Pennsylvania, scoured towering culm banks, salvaging bits of anthracite to keep their homes warm. This gripping scene, recorded by a Brooklyn Eagle reporter, reveals the stark realities of the era’s labor turmoil. Read the full story.
In Episode 3 of "The Gazette," explore letters from new recruits in the US Army, flag-waving in Pittston, and the state of war in May 1861.
The Avondale Mine Disaster of September 6, 1869 killed 108 miners and 2 volunteer rescuers.