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CRUCIBLE, PA

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Image courtesy of the John W. Barriger collection

The prep plant and barge loadout at Crucible, Pa as it looked in its heyday.

Image courtesy of Mather Recovery Systems LLC

Overall view of the ruins of the Crucible coal processing plant that existed until a few years ago.

Aug. 2002 image by author

Tipple ruins at Crucible, Pa. had no provisions for loading trains, so they must have shipped all their coal by barge on the river to the Crucible Steel Co. coke ovens and steel mill at Midland, Pa.

Image courtesy Coal and Coke Heritage Center, Penn State Fayette

The original Crucible tipple and headframe.

Circa 1930 "Keystone Coal Mining Catalog" image

This part of the Crucible tipple was not concrete, and appears to have been steel-framed. That looks like typical steel sheeting on the sides, but is actually asbestos siding.

Aug. 2002 image by author

Remains of a Dorr thickener at the Crucible prep plant ruins.

Aug. 2002 image by author

Crucible was operated by Crucible Coal Co., a subsidiary of Crucible Steel Co.

Aug. 2002 image by author

This old boiler house was probably built when the mine opened. Some sources have stated that the mine opened in 1911, but it wasn't until 1913 that Uniontown coal property speculator J.V. Thompson sold the 2,000 acres of coal lands to the Crucible Steel. Co.

Image courtesy Coal and Coke Heritage Center, Penn State Fayette

The Crucible boiler house as it looked when the mine was active.

Aug. 2002 image by author

Another Crucible mine building, on the banks of the Monongahela River, this one is probably a bathhouse or machine shop. These interesting mine ruins still existed when I took this photo, but all that is there now is a boring grassy field.

Aug. 2002 image by author

Large gob piles across the Monongahela River from the Crucible coal processing complex. The mine was closed in the early 1960's.

Aug. 2002 image by author

The Crucible patch is up on the hill above the tipple site. Over 1300 people lived here in the late 1940's.

Aug. 2002 image by author

Larger 2-family company housing at Crucible, Pa.

Aug. 2002 image by author

A smaller type of one family homes that the company built for its workers.

Circa 1930 "Keystone Coal Mining Catalog" image

Row of miners' cottages at Crucible. At least part of this coal company town was constructed by the Fort Pitt Bridge Company.

Aug. 2002 image by author

The old United Mine Workers union hall at Crucible.

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