On April 21 in Millersburg, I’ll be sharing the story of the Short Mountain and Williamstown collieries and the rise of anthracite in northern Dauphin County. From Bear Gap in 1825 to Depression-era closures, this program explores boom, disaster, labor, and lasting legacy. Learn more.
This 1860s photograph captures mining operations at Bear Gap, where men, mules, and machines pulled anthracite from deep underground. It’ offers a look at how coal shaped daily life in Wiconisco Township during the Civil War era. Read the full story.
From Bear Gap to the Mahanoy Valley, Peter W. Sheafer's mining surveys shaped where mines were sunk and towns were built. Read the Full Story.
Major Joseph Anthony, an Irish immigrant and revered Civil War veteran, survived grievous wounds at Chancellorsville only to succumb to their effects in 1885. After the war, he helped shape anthracite mining in Williamstown, Pennsylvania, earning lasting admiration for his bravery and leadership. Read the full story and a moving obituary for this Civil War veteran.
In 1877, a mine fire in Lykens, PA did more than just rage out of control underground. It threw 800 men out of work, left families destitute, and occurred amid one of the most explosive years in American labor history. This new video explores the human cost of disaster in the Coal Region. Watch the Video.
On New Year’s Day 1877, fire erupted deep inside the Short Mountain Colliery and would not be easily contained. It burned for months, idled hundreds of miners, and shook the communities of Lykens and Wiconisco during a national depression. This new video traces the disaster and its aftermath. Watch the video.
On November 30, 1871, Lykens quietly marked Thanksgiving: businesses closed; Lutheran and Episcopal services thinly attended while railroads and collieries worked. Read the full story of a 19th century Thanksgiving in a mining town.
The Great Depression hit Pennsylvania’s Coal Region hard. Collieries shuttered, jobs vanished, and families scraped by with bootleg mining, relief drives, and New Deal work. In my latest RealClear Pennsylvania column, I trace the collapse from Black Tuesday to efforts in towns like Williamstown and Lykens to survive the depression—and what lingers today. Read the full story.
A Glimpse of 1900s Lykens, PA This historic photo captures horse-drawn wagons and early automobiles sharing bustling Market Street. Towering coal culm banks loom in the distance, reflecting an era of booming industry on the edge of Pennsylvania’s Coal Region. Read the full story.
Discover a rare photograph capturing locomotive “George P. Upton” hauling anthracite along the Lykens Valley Railroad. Explore Bear Gap’s bustling mines, the route to Millersburg, and how Lykens Valley coal powered East Coast cities. Read the full story.