WATKINS, PA
The Watkins Coal Co., probably named after coal baron Thomas H. Watkins, opened the Watkins No. 1, 2, & 3 mines circa 1910-15. The Upper Freeport, Lower Freeport, and Lower Kittanning
coal seams were mined. Later Pennsylvania Coal & Coke Co. purchased the Watkins mines, and Watkins No. 1 became Pennsylvania No. 18 mine. Finally, that mine ended up being another portal
into Barnes and Tucker Company's sprawling Lancashire No. 15 mine, which closed in 1969.
Early picture of one of the Watkins Coal Mines.
Watkins coal company's company "patch" town.
Many of the coal company houses remain at Watkins.
Another style of houses built at Watkins for the coal miners and their families.
This burning slate dump at Watkins was reclaimed in the early 21st Century. Note the orange acid mine drainage in the West Branch of
the Susquehanna River.
Sources:
Zern, E. N., editor. The Coal Catalog, Combined with Coal Field Directory. Keystone Consolidated Publishing Company, 1920.
http://patheoldminer.rootsweb.ancestry.com (now defunct) by Ray Washlaski. Accessed here through the Wayback Machine.
Barnes-Watkins Refuse Pile Reclamation Project, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Image source forgotten
Circa 1922 image from "Keystone Mining Catalog" via Google Books
March 2021 image by author
March 2021 image by author
Pennsylvania DEP image
