Beehive Ovens 28. Maps. Region 4. Study Area 5. Bituminous Coal Mining Areas 13. Commercial Mines —. Rail and River Locations 20.
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At the heart of the coal and coke story are the people who lived and worked in the coalfields of western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. A portion of their story is told in the photographs interspersed in this document. All photographs are from the Patch/Work Voices project, Penn State University, Fayette Campus, Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Printed on recycled paper
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REVISIONS TO HISTORIC OVERVIEW SECTION COAL AND COKE RESOURCE ANALYSIS \ y *”” ‘< NOVEMBER, 1993 INTRODUCTION The following revisions, clarifications, and additions to the "Historical Overview* section of the Coal and Coke Resource Analysis (National Park Service, November, 1992) document are offered in response to cr nments received from various participating partners during the review process. The responses presented here address date and production number errors. In addition, supplemental material has been added in order to clarify certain points and/or add to the understanding of the coal and coke industry within context of the goals of the project. The team has not addressed those areas that we feel are matters related to interpretation of the presented material. Date Revisions: Page 18: Top, left hand column From: The opening of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1852 and subsequent construction" To: The opening of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1854 and subsequent construction" Page 24: Bottom, right hand column From: "In 1913, at its peak, Pennsylvania's coai production reached 172,965,659 net tons, leading other large' producers in Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana (Maize and Stible 1964, 55). To: "In 1917. at its peak, Pennsylvania's coal production reached 177.217.294 net tons. leading other large producers in Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Department of Environmental Resources 1979, 84). Page 29: Bottom, right hand column From: "H. C. Frick, who entered the coke business in 1868, focused" To: "H. C. Frick; who entered the coke business in 1871. focused" Page 59: Bottom, left hand column From: "H. C. Frick, who had entered the coke industry in 1870, became" To: "H. C. Frick, who had entered the coke industry in 1871. became" ( ,, - Page 31: Bottom, left hand column From: "In 1924, by-product production surpassed beehives." > -To: “In 1919, by-product production surpassed beehives.” . Ł Page 37: Top, left hand column From: The company was reorganized in 1934, then joined with the Pittsburgh Coal Company to become the Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal C mpany.” To: The company was reorganized in 1945. then joined with the Pittsburgh Coal Company to become the Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal Company (PjttConsoJ). – Page 37: Top, right hand column From: “Later Consoi expanded its efforts into Illinois and North Dakota, and in 1966 it merged with the Continental Oil Company (Conoco). To: “Later Consoi expanded its efforts into Illinois and North Dakota, and in 1964 it merged with the Continental Oil Company (Conoco), which in turned merged with .- -DuPont in 1980.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR CONSIDERATION East Broad Top Coalfield A significant portion of the semi-bituminous or “smokeless coal” coal trade involved the East Broadtop coal field. Mined as early as 1765, the Broad Top field was not recognized in print until the First Geographic Survey of Pennsylvania in the 1830s. By that time Broadtop coal was being transported via wagons or pack animals to the Raystown branch of the’Juniata River at Riddlesb-urg and Saxton for shipment downstream to eastern U.S. markets.(Morgan, 44) Broad Top Mountain eventually became home to the Rockhill Iron and Coal Company and by 1883 the company had opened four mines and established the town of Robertsdale. Between 1873 and 1925 the company opened, many more mines and the area’s population grew from 650 people in 1880 to over 1300 people by 1910. In 1921 the Broad Top Mountain communities included five working collieries with associated machinery and buildings, a post office and company stores, company office building, hotel, theater, and four churches in addition to miners’ dwellings and other structures. (NPS, 1990,Bennett;l 3) Intimately connected to the story of the Broad Top coal fields is the story of the East Broad Top Railroad (EBT) which serviced the eastern portion of the Broad Top Mountain coal region. Originally’ constructed to serve the region’s flourishing iron industry, the EBT railroad carried lumber, stone, and farm products as well as its major cargo – East Broad Top coal. Well into the twentieth century, the EBT carried coal to eastern markets. (NPS, 1990) The East Broad Top Railroad National Historic Landmark at Orbisonia celebrates the EBT’s contribution to coal mining history and its distinction as the oldest surviving intact narrow-gauge railroad east of the Rocky Mountains. TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTION , Under the heading “The Work of Mining” (Page 23) a discussion should be added to include the introduction of mechanical mining and loading machinery after 1920. As mentioned in the report, long wall mining became more prevalent after World War II. As Keith Dix has pointed out, multiple attempts were underway by the 1920s to introduce other technological innovations to the mines. Mechanical loading machines were developed with the aim of increasing production and improving efficiency. Early loading machines were intended to mine and load the coal directly from the face, to load the coal after it had been dropped from the face, or were simply conveyor systems loaded by hand. The systems varied from mine to mine in an attempt to overcome existing conditions of local coal seams.(Dix, 1988,34) Experimentation, trial, and error marked much early development including Joseph Joy’s initial attempts at constructing a reliable loader. Joseph Joy and the Joy loader became synonymous with mechanization in the mines. In 1922 and 1923, the Joy Company sold 184 of its 4BU model machines to coal companies in the major coal fields. (Dix, 1988,71) The early Joy loaders were the precursors of the modem coal loading machines used in today’s mines. By the 1930s, Joy was gone from the company but the reorganized and renamed Joy Manufacturing Company continued to manufacture various types of mining equipment including conveyors, locomotive specialties, and the shuttle car. Joseph Joy’s contribution of the mechanization of the nation’s coal mines lay chiefly with his innovations in coal loading machinery, innovations aimed at increasing production and improving efficiency underground. \ Those innovations changed the work of mining at the face and radically reduced the number of miners needed in the mines. Miners who once worked independently performing several aspects of the mining job found themselves working along with mechanical loaders or found themselves replaced by machines. Some adjusted to the changes and became machine operators, others moved to mines that had not yet become mechanized. As mechanization spread throughout the nation’s coal fields, however, few if any, coal miners went untouched by the advancing technology. WORKS CITED Dix, Keith 1988 What’s a Coal Miner to Do? The Mechanization of Coal Mining. Pittsburgh:University of Pittsburgh Press. Morgan, Ron 1979 “Coal Mining Had Its Beginning in the Six Mile Run – Riddlesburg Region.” Tales of the Broad Top 1 Vol II. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior 1990 The Company Towns of the Rockhill iron and Coal Company: Robertsdale and Wood vale, Pennsylvania, by Lola M. Bennett 1990 Study of Alternatives, East Broad Top Railroad National Historic Landmark
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SUMMARY Coal mining families, Lambert, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1924. This Coal and Coke Resource Analysis is part of the America’s Industrial Heritage Project (AIHP). The AIHP involves nine counties in southwestern Pennsylvania: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Somerset, and Westmoreland. AIHP preserves, promotes, and interprets the coal, iron and steel, and transportation resources of the area as they relate to the industrial development of the region and the nation. In November 1988, Congress created the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission to direct the AIHP. The National Park Service (NPS) serves as technical adviser to the commission. undertaken by the National Park Service at the direction of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission. The purpose of the analysis is to establish the following key planning elements that are necessary for completion of the site-specific portion (phase 2) of the study of alternatives: Ł interpretive stories and themes geographic areas of emphasis with respect to the development of the coal and coke industry Ł site evaluation criteria The Coal and Coke Resource Analysis is phase 1 of a coal and coke study of alternatives being To define these elements, the partners recommended that a historical overview of coal and iii
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Summary docile attitudes about performing even the worst jobs in the mines created an initial mistrust of foreign workers. Only after the newcomers “proved” themselves by supporting the United Mine Workers’ strike efforts did they gain the respect of the native miners. Interactions between workers, diverse ethnic groups, and coal and coke companies are the basis of the history of the bituminous coal industry in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. It is a story of complex relationships between resources and people, a story of regional growth and national industrialization. Upon review and approval of the Coal and Coke Resource Analysis, the coal and coke project team will undertake the site-specific phase of the study of alternatives. This phase, scheduled to begin in November-December 1992, will involve identifying and evaluating alternatives for use, protection, and management of coke resources and sites. The analysis will focus on resources in the Connellsville coke region in Pennsylvania’s Fayette and Westmoreland counties. As with the resource analysis, this phase will be conducted under a partnership format, utilizing the expertise, ideals, and concepts of a number of individual partners. v
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CONTENTS Introduction 1 Background 1 Purpose 2 Methodology 2 Study Area 3 Report Content 3 Acknowledgements 6 Historical Overview Introduction 9 Coal 11 Introduction 11 Formation of Coal 11 Characteristics of Coal 11 Uses of Coal 12 Transportation 15 Technology and Production 21 Coal Technology and Production 21 Underground Mining 21 Surface Mining 23 The Work of Mining 23 Production 24 Coking Technology 25 The Rise of Corporations in the Coal Industry 33 Early Development 34 Growth of Three Corporations 35 Labor and the Union Struggle 38 The United Mine Workers of America 38 Company Opposition to Unions 39 The Struggle Continues 40 Depression and the New Deal 41 Summary 43 Community 44 Introduction 44 Immigration 45 Company Towns 47 Company Attempts to Control Workers 49 Family Strategies 52 Connellsville Coke Region 56 Conclusion 62 Planning Elements Interpretive Stories and Themes 65 Resources 65 Immigration 66 Community Life 66 Labor 66 Transportation 66 Industrialization 66 Technology 66 Geographic Areas of Emphasis 68 Monongahela Valley Industrial Corridor 68 Connellsville Coke Region 68 Smokeless Coals 68 Site Evaluation Criteria 71 Recommendations and Future Activities 73 Recommendations for Further Study 73 Future Project Activities 74 Appendixes / Works Cited Appendixes A: Bituminous Coal Production 77 B: Coke Production 80 Works Cited 81 Preparers/Partners 85 Figures 1. Four Types of Bituminous Coal Mines 22 2. Beehive Ovens 28 Maps Region 4 Study Area 5 Bituminous Coal Mining Areas 13 Commercial Mines Š Rail and River Locations 20 Coke Works of the Connellsville Coke Region 57 Geographic Areas of Emphasis 69 vii
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INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND the rise of labor movements This Coal and Coke Resource Analysis is part of the America’s Industrial Heritage Project (AIHP). The AIHP involves nine counties in southwestern Pennsylvania: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Somerset, and Westmoreland. AIHP preserves, promotes, and interprets the coal, iron and steel, and transportation resources of the area as they relate to the industrial development of the region and the nation. In November 1988, Congress created the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission to direct the AIHP. The National Park Service serves as technical adviser to the commission. In 1988, a reconnaissance survey of the Brownsville/Monongahela Valley area was commissioned by Public Law 100-698. The National Park Service completed thenaissance Survey of the Brownsville/Monongahela Valley in 1991 (NPS 1991b). In the survey, which was the initial step in the NPS planning process, the Park Service assessed a broad area of land in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia within a variety of historic themes to provide the basis for future cooperative planning. The purpose of the reconnaissance survey was to examine the resources of the area, determine their significance, identify threats to the resources, and make recommendations for further action, if warranted. To this end, an NPS team collected data on the cultural, natural, recreational, and scenic resources of the area and documented existing and potential nationally significant resources related to the industrial activities of iron production, steelmaking, coal mining, coke production, transportation, and other industries. The survey addressed several aspects of the coal and coke industry: Ł technological and business developments Ł the impact of ethnically diverse cultures on settlement patterns and the social and political development of the region Ł the physical effect of this type of industrial operation on the landscape In addition, in response to Public Law 100-698, the Steel Industry Heritage Task Force completed the Draft Steel Industrytage Concept Plan in July 1992. The plan provides an inventory and evaluation of steel and related industrial resources, including coal and coke, in six southwestern Pennsylvania counties and the city of Pittsburgh. Alternatives for conserving, interpreting, promoting, and managing these resources are presented in the plan, and a recommended concept plan is identified. Many resources are present in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, but a complete resource inventory does not exist. The Reconnaissance Survey and the Draft Steel Industry Heritage Concept Plan recommend further evaluation of a variety of historical resources within a broad contextual framework, including the coal and coke industry. The coal and coke industry was identified as one of several topics considered to be of primary importance in illustrating the cultural, economic, and industrial development of western Pennsylvania and the nation. The next step in the NPS planning process is preparation of a study of alternatives. The purpose of such a study is to identify and evaluate alternatives for management, use, and protection of resources. In February 1992, the NPS team held a “kickoff” meeting with the project partners to discuss the findings of the reconnaissance survey and the direction of the proposed study of alternatives. Attending the meeting were representatives from the NPS Historic American Buildings Survey/ 1
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INTRODUCTION Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER), the NPS Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, the Steel Industry Heritage Task Force, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Folklife Division of AIHP, and the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs. The group concluded that several key elements needed to be determined before site-specific development alternatives could be formulated, including the following: Ł interpretive stories and themes Ł geographic areas of emphasis with respect to the development of the coal and coke industry Ł site evaluation criteria To define these elements, the partners recommended that a historical overview of coal and coke resources be prepared. The historical overview would provide the context in which the elements would be defined. From the items identified, it was determined that a resource analysis of the coal and coke industry should be completed as the first phase of a study of alternatives. Following completion of the resource analysis, the site-specific phase of the study of alternatives would be prepared. PURPOSE The purpose of this Coal and Coke Resource Analysis is to establish the key planning elements identified above that are necessary for completion of the site-specific portion of the study of alternatives. The resource analysis will serve as a bridge between the reconnaissance survey conducted for the Brownsville/ Monongahela River valley region and the site-specific portion of the study of alternatives. Included in the study is a broad historical overview of the coal and coke industry in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia (see Region and Study Area maps). The historical overview represents a synthesis of existing data and provides the historical context needed to identify important stories and themes, geographic areas of emphasis, and site evaluation criteria. The emphasis of this study is on coke manufacturing within the context of the coal industry. This approach was taken because plans are underway to preserve and interpret elements of the coal industry at other AIHP sites such as Windber, Eureka Mine 40 at Scalp Level, and Seldom Seen Valley Mine. Although elements of the coal story can be understood at those sites, the coking industry is a unique component of the overall coal story that has not been addressed within AIHP. In addition, the coking industry played a key role as a direct link between coal mining and development of the iron and steel industries. This study defines this role and describes the relationships between these industries. METHODOLOGY In preparing the resource analysis, the NPS project team used existing studies so as to avoid duplicating previous efforts. The team relied on two primary sources: a draft history of the Pennsylvania bituminous coal and coke industry being produced by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (Diciccio 1992), and several draft reports on northern West Virginia coalfields prepared by the West Virginia University Institute for the History of Technology and Industrial Archeology (Workman 1992; Salstrom 1992a, 1992b). The team also utilized the “Historic Site Survey of the Greater Monongahela River Valley,” prepared by the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania for the National Park Service, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and the Steel Industry Heritage Task Force (Hist. Soc. West Penn. 1991). In this study, the significance of the industrial and related historic resources of the Monongahela River valley (the “Mon Valley”) are identified and evaluated. 2
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