In December 1873, a 4,000 foot tunnel was completed through Big Lick Mountain in Dauphin County. Williamstown Tunnel opened up Bear Valley for profitable coal mining.
The completion of Williamstown Tunnel – 1873
Remembering the local emergency response to the Porter Tunnel Disaster – March 1977
On March 1, 1977, water poured into the Porter Tunnel mine in western Schuylkill County. Emergency crews raced to the scene.
Jim Gaffigan’s Coal Region connections featured on “Finding Your Roots” on PBS
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and comedian Jim Gaffigan explored Gaffigan's family connection to the Coal Region on "Finding Your Roots"
Grudge Match: Lykens and Williamstown football teams dueled for championship in remarkable 1904 game
The game ended in a scoreless tie. But that doesn't mean the circumstances surrounding this game aren't fascinating.
A Wynning History summer project will explore 1902 coal strike in Williams Valley
An introduction to a Wynning History series about the 1902 Coal Strike in the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania.
A day in the Williams Valley Baseball League – 1906
Missing baseball? Take a trip back to the insane 1906 season in Pennsylvania's Williams Valley League.
Captain Richard Budd – Civil War veteran and pioneer of Williamstown
Budd served during the Civil War and later became a prominent citizen in Dauphin County's largest mining community.
Grievances of Williamstown miners against the Pennsylvania Railroad Company – 1886
"We are men and all we ask is to be treated as such," wrote the miners in a public letter published during their 1886 strike.
Baseball game settled score between colliery engineers in Williams Valley
In July 1906, engineers from rival coal mines played for bragging rights in northern Dauphin County.
Interview with a survivor of the 1904 Williamstown Colliery Disaster
David Watkeys was pulled unconscious from the Williamstown Tunnel on May 25, 1904. He survived to tell his story.
