History of Schuylkill County; Historical Collections of the State of Pennsylvania

1843. The history of Schuylkill County, PA, is recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this NEW 44 Page Booklet, reprinted primarily from four hard-to-find vintage books. The spiral-bound booklet is printed one-sided on 60# paper, with the print size adjusted to fit 8 1/2 x 11 paper. A vinyl sheet protects the front cover. Source books include: Historical Collections of the State of Pennsylvania (1843) by Sherman Day; An Illustrated History of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1876) by William Egle, M.D.; Pennsylvania, a Guide to the Keystone State compiled by WPA writers; and My Pennsylvania, a 1946 project of the Bureau of Publications, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (Some Information may be repeated in various excerpts, but often with a different slant or with additional details.) The communities mentioned include: Minersville, New Castle, Orwigsburg, Pine Grove, Port Carbon, Port Clinton, Pottsville, Schuylkill Haven, Tamaqua. The Day and Egle histories cover the early years, while excerpts from the WPA book, give a nostalgic glimpse from a 1940 vantage point, including interesting historical notes relating to sightseeing possibilities. The recently added excerpt from the fourth book includes a 1940s map of the county, several photos and a concise update of the county's progress as it looked shortly after World War II. Among the many and diverse subjects in the booklet are: County terrain and geological traits; Detailed discussion of Large Coalfields; Early Settlers and the evolution of Schuylkill to become the largest producer of Anthracite Coal in PA; Pottsville: Tavern to Boomtown in 3 years; Details of Numerous Land and Shop Owners; A Long Burning Coal Mine; Col Shoemaker's endeavor to introduce Anthracite Coal Industry; First Steam Engines of the county; The Perils of Deep Shaft Coal Mining; Military Contributions from the county; How Charlemagne Tower amassed his fortune; Population explosion of Frackville and the sinking (literally) of neighboring towns; United Mine Workers of America; The Molly Maguires (Mollies); 1925 Strike and the death of the Anthracite Coal industry; Colorful Characters of the Schuylkill Canal and other interesting bits of history and trivia. ILLUSTRATIONS include Views of Pottsville (2 Full Page Views), Schuylkill Haven, Tamaqua, and a View near Brookside. . Limited Edition Reprint. Spiral/Comb . New/No Jacket. 8.5" x 11". Private Press.