WATKINS, PENNSYLVANIA

The Watkins Coal Co., probably named after coal baron Thomas H. Watkins, opened the Watkins No. 1, No. 2, and No. 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.

Image source forgotten Early picture of one of the Watkins coal mines.
Circa 1922 image from Keystone Mining Catalog via Google Books Watkins Coal Company's company "patch" town.
March 2021 image by author Many of the coal company houses remain at Watkins.
March 2021 image by author Another style of houses built at Watkins for the coal miners and their families.
Pennsylvania DEP image 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.