A photograph of Pottsville’s Coal Street, taken on August 9, 1886. The Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company shops are on the right and the new railroad station is in the center of the photo. Today, this street is part of Route 61.
From a series of articles that appeared in the Pottsville Republican and Herald in 1998:
The original opening of the Guinea Hill Colliery was a water-level tunnel driven 80 feet north to the Tunnel Vein a short distance west of the corner of Fourth and Arch Streets, Pottsville, by Parker, Carey, Lea and Dr. Houston in 1830.
After developing the colliery and constructing a railroad from the tunnel to the canal basin on the Mount Carbon Railroad at Norwegian and Railroad Streets, the colliery was leased to Lloyd and Daddow in 1833. They operated to 1836, but, due to the Depression at that time, were unable to continue the mining.
Potts & Bannan succeeded Lloyd & Daddow in 1836 and began the sinking of a slope on the Black Mine (Peach Mountain) Vein near Laurel and Fifth Streets.
The slope in 1856 was 255 feet in length and tunnels were driven north and south to the Tracy and Tunnel Veins. The hoisting engine was the second engine erected in the southern coal field. The cost of the engine slope and tunnels was $3,000. The slope was sunk to a lower level and tunnels were driven north and south as in the upper level.
The gangways extended eastward to about Second Street (the limit of the Guinea Hill Tract was at Third Street) and westward to beyond 12th Street, where the gangways connected with the York Farm workings. Potts & Bannan continued to operate the colliery until 1842 when, through financial difficulties, Bannan retired from the firm. Potts continued operating to 1848, when he failed.
Charles Miller succeeded Potts in 1848 with poor success and finally abandoned the colliery in 1849 when it connected with the York Farm workings.
After the exhaustion of the water-level workings, the slope was the main outlet for the coal on the lower levels. The breaker for the new conditions was built at the corner of Laurel and Third Streets. The coal was transported over its own tracks to a junction with the York Farm landings on Railroad Street. The store and office were located on Market Street (Garfield Square).
Total shipment from the colliery was 223,915 tons. The capital invested was $33,000.
_______________________________________________
Article by Frank Blase, Historian, Reading Anthracite Company Historical Library, Pottsville Republican & Herald, June 27, 1998. Obtained from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.