A mule is harnessed and ready for service at the Locust Spring Colliery.
From a series of articles that appeared in the Pottsville Republican and Herald in 1997:
In the early days of mining, there was a cluster of collieries in the Locust Gap operated under the same name prefixed by “Locust.”
This is the second installment of the history of these collieries.
Locust Summit Colliery (Old Black Diamond)
The Locust Summit (Old Black Diamond) Colliery was on the west side of Locust Creek directly opposite the Old Locust Gap Colliery.
It was opened at a high elevation above the railroad track by a drift driven west on the North Dip Mammoth Vein by Lloyd Anthony in 1855. The first coal shipment of 12, 287 tons was made in 1856, when they sold the mine to Sheppard & McFarland, who in 1860 had mined the drift 2,700 feet, when it stopped and they retired from the business.
In 1860, George W. Parvin and John Wyland leased the colliery and drove two drifts westward at lower levels on the same vein, mining the two drifts until 1863, when Wyland retired from the firm and was succeeded by Cook. The new firm of Parvin & Cook operated the mine until 1864, when they failed and the colliery was abandoned.
In 1865, Fegley & Company reopened the mine and operated under the name of the Black Diamond Coal Company. They mined the two drifts until 1866, when the upper drift was driven 3,800 feet and the lower one at the level of the railroad, 3,600 feet. They also drove cross-cut tunnels from both drifts to the Top Split Mammoth Vein that were also driven westward. They continued operating to 1869, when they failed.
J. Bartholomew & Company was assigned their lease and operated until 1871, when the breaker was destroyed by fire. The fire also spread to the Locust Gap Breaker immediately opposite, which was also destroyed. The loss of the breaker caused the failure of the company.
In 1872, the colliery was leased to Carter & Gorman, who operated it under the name of the First National Colliery until 1873, when it was abandoned.
The total shipment from the Locust Summit Colliery was 400,000 tons.
The Locust Creek Colliery
Located on the west side of Locust Creek, the Locust Creek Colliery was opened by a drift driven west on the South Dip Mammoth Vein by Heaton & Carle in 1854. The first shipment of 9,923 tons was made during the same year.
Heaton & Carle continued mining the drift until 1858, when it had been driven 1,900 feet to the land line. They opened a second drift on the same vein at a lower level, mining this drift until 1860, when they failed and the colliery was abandoned.
The total shipments from Locust Creek Colliery were included in the Locust Spring Colliery shipments.