In this video interview, I talk with historian Mitch Troutman about The Bootleg Coal Rebellion - the story of Pennsylvania miners who refused to starve when the industry collapsed. We explore survival, dignity, and resistance in the Coal Region, and why this history still matters today. Watch the Video.
The 1913 Cameron Colliery bathhouse in Shamokin, PA. Featured in The Colliery Engineer magazine, this 1912-built facility provided heated tubs and steam heat, modern conveniences like electric lighting, and lockers for 224 miners, with multilingual rule notices—an early example of worker welfare in the anthracite fields. Read the full story
Newspaper headlines across Northeastern Pennsylvania carried news of war and destruction in Hawaii in December 1941. Read the full story and the headlines.
In December 1922, Donald Tarr tragically lost his life in a mining accident at the Burnside Colliery near Shamokin, Pennsylvania. As one of the small number African American miners in the region, Tarr and his family had deep roots in the local coal industry. Discover the story of this skilled miner and the legacy of his family in the anthracite fields. Read the full story.
In Tracy Campbell's 2020 book, the author uses the examples from the anthracite coal fields to show how our national myths about World War II often miss the mark.
We recently acquired this colorized postcard of the Glen Burn Colliery near Shamokin
We recently acquired a new image of this Coal Region community in Northumberland County.
James Fuller Queen sketched Shamokin at a key moment in the history of the Northumberland County community.
An August 1962 news report documents the early efforts to squelch an escalating mine fire at Centralia, Pennsylvania.
On the eve of the Great Depression, mining official Max Fredericks delivered an optimistic speech in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, predicting a bright future for the anthracite coal industry. Discover the irony and lasting impact of his words as the Coal Region faced unprecedented economic devastation after Black Tuesday in October 1929. Read the full story.