The Coal Region is a region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is known for being home to the largest known deposits of

anthracite coal Anthracite, also known as hard coal, and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the hig ...

in the world with an estimated reserve of seven billion short tons. The region is typically defined as comprising five Pennsylvania counties, Carbon County, Lackawanna County, Luzerne County, Northumberland County, and Schuylkill County. It is home to 910,716 people as of the 2010 census. The Coal Region is bordered by Berks, Lehigh, and

Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England ...

Counties (including the Lehigh Valley) to its south;

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

and Dauphin Counties to its west; Wyoming County to its north; and Warren County, New Jersey to its east.

History

The population of the Amerindian tribesmen of the

Susquehannock The Susquehannock people, also called the Conestoga by some English settlers or Andastes were Iroquoian Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, ranging from its upper reaches in the southern pa ...

nation was reduced 90 percentsee facts cited and cites of American Heritage book of Indians (1961) in articles:

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian Peoples, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Indigenous confederations in North America, confederacy of First Nations in Canada, First Natio ...

in three years of a plague of diseases and possibly war, opening up the Susquehanna Valley and all of Pennsylvania to settlement as the tribe was all but eliminated. Settlement in the region predates the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. Both Delaware and Susquehannock power had been broken by disease and wars between Native American tribes before the British took over the Dutch and Swedish colonies and settled Pennsylvania. The first discovery of anthracite coal in the region occurred in 1762, and the first mine was established in 1775 near Pittston. In 1791, anthracite was discovered by a hunter atop Pisgah Ridge, and by 1792 the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company began producing and shipping coal to

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

via

Mauch Chunk Jim Thorpe is a borough and the county seat of Carbon County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is historically known as the burial site of Native American sports legend Jim Thorpe. Jim Thorpe is ...

from the Southern Anthracite Field and

Summit Hill Summit Hill is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 3,034 at the 2010 census. Summit Hill has a storied history as the western terminus of the United States' second operational ...

, built atop the line between Schuylkill County and what would be renamed Carbon County. By 1818, customers fed up with the inconsistent mismanagement leased the Lehigh Coal Mining Company and founded the Lehigh Navigation Company: construction soon began for

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation ...

; the locks and dams on the Lehigh River rapids stretches, later known as the Lehigh Canal (finished in 1820). In 1822, the two companies merged as the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company (LC&N), and by 1824 the company was shipping large volumes of coal down the Lehigh and Delaware Canals. Meanwhile, three brothers had similar ideas from near the turn of the century, and about the same time began mining coal in Carbondale, northeast of Scranton, but high enough to run a

gravity railroad A gravity railroad (American English) or gravity railway (British English) is a railroad on a slope that allows cars carrying minerals or passengers to coast down the slope by the force of gravity alone. The speed of the cars is controlled by a b ...

to the Delaware River and feed

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

via the Delaware and Hudson Canal. Pennsylvania began the Delaware Canal to connect the Lehigh Canal to Philadelphia and environs, while funding to build a canal across the Appalachians'

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range (; also spelled Alleghany or Allegany), informally the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada and posed a significant barrier to land travel in less devel ...

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

. In 1827, LC&N built the second railroad in the country, a gravity railroad from Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway, running Summit Hill to Mauch Chunk. Population rapidly grew in the period following the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, with the expansion of the mining and railroad industries. English, Welsh, Irish and German immigrants formed a large portion of this increase, followed by Polish, Slovak, Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Italian, Russian, Jewish, and Lithuanian immigrants. The influence of these immigrant populations is still strongly felt in the region, with various towns possessing pronounced ethnic characters and cuisine. The anthracite mining industry loomed over the region until its decline in the 1950s. Strip mines and fires, most notably in Centralia, remain visible. Several violent incidences in the history of the U.S. labor movement occurred within the coal region as this was the location of the Lattimer Massacre and the home of the

Molly Maguires The Molly Maguires were an Irish people, Irish 19th-century secret society active in Ireland, Liverpool and parts of the Eastern United States, best known for their activism among Irish-American and Irish diaspora, Irish immigrant coal miners i ...

. The

Knox Mine Disaster Knox may refer to: Places United States * Fort Knox, a United States Army post in Kentucky ** United States Bullion Depository, a high security storage facility commonly called Fort Knox * Fort Knox (Maine), a fort located on the Penobscot River ...

in 1959 served as the death knell for deep mining which faded away in the mid 1960s;Karen Ahlquist, 2006. Chorus and Community. University of Illinois Press. p. 225. . almost all current anthracite mining is done via strip mining. Tours of underground mines can be taken in Ashland, Scranton, and Lansford, each of them also having museums dedicated to the mining industry. Also evident are patch towns, small villages affiliated with a particular mine. These towns were owned by the mining company. Though no longer company owned, many hamlets survive; one of them, the

Eckley Miners' Village Eckley Miners' Village in eastern Pennsylvania is an anthracite coal mining patch town located in Foster Township, Pennsylvania. Since 1970, Eckley has been owned and operated as a museum by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Hi ...

, is a museum and preserved historical town owned and administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which seeks to restore patch towns to their original state.

Geography

The Coal Region lies north of the Lehigh Valley and Berks County regions, south of the Endless Mountains, west of the Pocono Mountains, and east of the Susquehanna Valley. The region lies at the northern edge of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, and draws its name from the vast deposits of anthracite coal that can be found under several of the valleys in the region. The Wyoming Valley is the most densely populated of these valleys, and contains the cities of Wilkes-Barre,

Greater Pittston Greater Pittston is a 65.35 sq mi (169.25 km²) region in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in reference to the area in and around Pittston. As of 2010, the total population of Greater Pittston is 48,020. This region includes Avoca, Dupont, Dury ...

, and Scranton. Hazleton and Pottsville are two of the larger cities in the southern portion of the region. The Lehigh and Schuylkill rivers both originate within the region, while the much larger

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

skirts the northern edge. Academics have made the distinction between the North Anthracite Coal Field and the South Anthracite Coal Field,Healey, Richard (2005) ''"The Breakers of the Northern Anthracite Coalfield of Pennsylvania", 'Vol. 1, Major breakers prior to 1902'.'' Dept of Geography, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth. ''"Northern Anthracite Coalfield of Pennsylvania" (implying there is a Southern Anthracite Coalfield of Pennsylvania)'' the lower region bearing the further classification Anthracite UplandsSevon, W. D., compiler, 2000, , Pennsylvania Geological Survey of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th ser., Map 13, scale 1:2,000,000. in physical geology. The Southern Coal Region can be further broken into the Southeastern and Southwestern Coal Regions, with the divide between the Little Schuylkill River and easternmost tributary of the Schuylkill River with the additional divide line from the Lehigh River watershed extended through Barnesville the determining basins.

People

;Notable people from the Coal Region * Nick Adams, actor * Joe Amato, five-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Drag Racer * Gary Becker,

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

–winning economist (1992). * David Bohm, quantum physicist * George Bretz (1842-1895), photographed the Coal Region * Les Brown, jazz musician *

Bill Bufalino William Eugene Bufalino (; April 13, 1918 – May 12, 1990) was an American attorney who represented the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1947 until 1971. He retired in 1982. Bufalino worked closely with Jimmy Hoffa until 1971. B ...

, attorney * Ben Burnley, lead singer of rock band

Breaking Benjamin Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, formed in 1999 by lead singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel. The first lineup of the band also included guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist ...

P. J. Carlesimo Peter John Carlesimo (born May 30, 1949) is an American basketball coach who coached in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and college basketball for nearly 40 years. He is also a television broadcaster, having worked with ESPN, '' Th ...

, professional basketball coach, San Antonio Spurs * Robert P. Casey, former Governor of Pennsylvania * Bob Casey, Jr., U.S. Senator *

George Catlin George Catlin (July 26, 1796 – December 23, 1872) was an American adventurer, lawyer, painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West. Traveling to the American West five times during the 18 ...

, artist *

Jimmy Cefalo James Carmen Cefalo (born October 6, 1956) is an American journalist, news broadcaster and sports broadcaster, radio talk show host, Voice of the Miami Dolphins, businessman, wine enthusiast and former professional American football wide receiver ...

, professional football player, Miami Dolphins * Stan Coveleski, Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member * Anthony P. Damato, United States Marine, Medal of Honor recipient * Jack Dolbin, professional football player, Denver Broncos * Jimmy Dorsey, jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, big band leader *

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

, jazz trombonist, big band leader * Ellen Albertini Dow, actress, ''The Wedding Singer''s Rapping Granny * Ham Fisher, cartoonist * Daniel J. Flood, U.S. Congressman * Alexander Joseph Foley, United States Marine, Medal of Honor recipient * Howard Gardner, scientist, author * James M. Gavin, Lieutenant General, United States Army *

Jimmy Gownley Jimmy Gownley (born February 5, 1972) is an American comic book writer/artist best known for his award winning comic book '' Amelia Rules''. He grew up in the small town of Girardville, Pennsylvania and started to write and draw his own comics a ...

, author, illustrator, cartoonist *

Tim Holden Thomas Timothy Holden (born March 5, 1957) is an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. representative for from 1993 to 2013. Holden was the dean of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation durin ...

, former U.S. Congressman *

Henry Hynoski Henry Philip Hynoski Jr. (born December 30, 1988) is a former American football fullback who played for the New York Giants from 2011 to 2014. He won Super Bowl XLVI with the team over the New England Patriots. Hynoski played college footbal ...

, professional football player for the New York Giants *

Jane Jacobs Jane Jacobs (''née'' Butzner; 4 May 1916 – 25 April 2006) was an American-Canadian journalist, author, theorist, and activist who influenced urban studies, sociology, and economics. Her book ''The Death and Life of Great American Cities'' ...

, sociologist, author * Russell Johnson, actor *

John E. Jones III John Edward Jones III (born June 13, 1955) is the 30th President at Dickinson College and a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Early life and education Jones was bor ...

, judge *

George Joulwan George Alfred Joulwan (born November 16, 1939, Pottsville, Pennsylvania) is a retired United States Army general who served for 36 years. He finished his military career as the Commander-in-Chief of the United States European Command and NATO' ...

, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe from 1993 to 1997. *

Paul E. Kanjorski Paul Edmund Kanjorski (born April 2, 1937) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 1985 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district included the cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Hazleton, a ...

, member of Congress * Jean Kerr, author * Eddie Korbich, actor * Matthew Lesko, infomercial personality *

Edward B. Lewis Edward Butts Lewis (May 20, 1918 – July 21, 2004) was an American geneticist, a corecipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He helped to found the field of evolutionary developmental biology. Early life Lewis was born in Wi ...

, Nobel Prize-winning scientist * Joe Maddon, manager of the Chicago Cubs * Joseph L. Mankiewicz, film director, producer, and screenwriter * Richard Marcinko, Navy Seal, author * Christy Mathewson, professional baseball player *

Francis T. McAndrew Francis T. "Frank" McAndrew (b. January 27, 1953 – Augsburg, Germany) is an American social psychologist and the Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. At Knox, he founded the environmental studies pr ...

, Psychologist/Professor/Author * Mary McDonnell, actress * Gerry McNamara, college basketball player, Syracuse University * Jason Miller, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, actor * Mike Munchak, professional football coach and former professional football player * Jozef Murgaš, radio pioneer * Amedeo Obici, founder of the Planters Peanuts Company * John O'Hara, author * Jim O'Neill, former baseball player * Steve O'Neill, former baseball player *

Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...

, actor * William Daniel Phillips, Nobel Prize-winning scientist * Joe Pisarcik, former NFL quarterback *

Darryl Ponicsan Darryl Ponicsan (; born May 26, 1938) is an American writer. He is best known as the author of the 1970 novel ''The Last Detail,'' which was adapted into a 1973 film starring Jack Nicholson. A sequel, ''Last Flag Flying'', based on his 2005 novel ...

, author, screenwriter * Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor *

Paul W. Richards Paul William Richards (born May 20, 1964 in Scranton, Pennsylvania) is an American engineer and a former NASA Astronaut. He flew aboard one Space Shuttle mission in 2001. Education Richards graduated from Dunmore High School, Dunmore, Pennsylva ...

, former astronaut *

Conrad Richter Conrad Michael Richter (October 13, 1890 – October 30, 1968) was an American novelist whose lyrical work is concerned largely with life on the American frontier in various periods. His novel '' The Town'' (1950), the last story of his trilogy '' ...

, author * Hugh Rodham, father of Hillary Rodham Clinton *

Tim Ruddy Tim Ruddy (born April 27, 1972) is a former American football offensive lineman. He was born in Dunmore, Pennsylvania. Tim Ruddy was a center for the Miami Dolphins from 1994 to 2003. Tim went on to acting and writing as well as working on the ...

, former professional football player,

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

* Victor Schertzinger, composer, film director, film producer and screenwriter * William Scranton, former Governor of Pennsylvania and 1964 U.S. Presidential candidate *

William Scranton, III William Worthington Scranton III (born July 20, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 26th lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1987 in the administration of Governor Richard Thornburgh. He is the son of the late Pennsylv ...

, former Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania *

B. F. Skinner Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 – August 18, 1990) was an American psychologist, behaviorist, author, inventor, and social philosopher. He was a professor of psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974. C ...

, psychologist, radical behaviorist, Harvard professor, and author * Jimmy Spencer, former NASCAR driver and current TV analyst * Bob Sura, former NBA basketball player * Charley Trippi, played for Pittston Patriots, NFL Hall of Fame * John Anthony Walker, spy for the Soviet Union * Ed Walsh, former professional baseball player, Chicago White Sox

References

External links

Coal Mine Region - The Carpathian ConnectionPennsylvania's Northern Coal FieldA collection of nostalgia and regionalisms from the Anthracite Coal Region of PennsylvaniaAbandoned Anthracite Mines in PA"A Jewel In the Crown of Old King Coal Eckley Miners' Village" by Tony Wesolowsky, ''Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine'', Volume XXII, Number 1 - Winter 1996 A website with extensive detail on and a virtual tour of Eckley
{{Pennsylvania, state=collapsed 01 Coal mining regions in the United States Mining in Pennsylvania Regions of Pennsylvania Carbon County, Pennsylvania Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Northumberland County, Pennsylvania Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

History

Geography

People

See also

References

External links