MISC. PITTSBURGH FIELD PAGE 2

Circa 1884 image from "Report on the Coal Mines of the Monongahela River Region" This tipple on the Mon River of the Gilmore Mine was as basic as it got. Gilmore Mine, in North Webster, Pa., opened in 1871.
Oct. 2009 image by author Gob piles and company houses remaining from the Pittsburgh Coal Company's coal mining operations at Moon Run, Robinson Township, Penna. This scene, which appears to be rural Appalachia, is actually less than 10 miles from downtown Pittsburgh.
Mar. 2003 image by author Abandoned barge loading facility on the Monongahela River at Naomi. Moving coal by barge is the most economical way of shipment.
Jul. 2004 image by author Coal barges are moved down the Monongahela River through a system of locks, such as this one - Lock No. 4. In the background is the city of Charleroi, PA.
June 2002 image by author Some of the many company-built houses in Arnold City patch. The Pittsburgh Coal Company built Arnold City to house the workers of their Arnold No. 1 and 2 mines, which opened in the late 1800s. If, in fact, Pittsburgh Coal constructed these houses, they are higher quality single-family homes than the duplexes they usually used.
May 2004 image by author The Smithdale "patch" on the banks of the Youghiogheny River in southern Allegheny County. With its Pennsylvania duplex housing, slate dump, and "Honor Roll," it looks like most other patches.
Feb. 2016 image by author This building on the edge of Carnegie, Pa. once held the blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, motor barn, and supply house for the Mansfield Coal & Coke Company's Mansfield Mine. Later it was a Pittsburgh Coal Co. property.
Feb. 2016 image by author Here's the Mansfield mine puking out AMD and not really doing the Chartiers Creek watershed any favors.
Nov. 2003 image by author The Pittsburgh Coal Company built these houses on the edge of Smithton Boro.
Nov. 2003 image by author These crumbling coke ovens in the Youghiogheny Gorge are near Smithton, PA.
Nov. 2004 image by author Unusual yellow brick cottages built by the American Reduction Company. The workers of the Reduction mine are perched on a cliff overlooking the Youghiogheny River gorge. I now realize that this was a company town, but not for a coal mine. The houses were for the workers of an incinerator and rendering plant that handled Pittsburgh's garbage.
Mar. 2003 image by author Company store at Van Meter, PA, along the Youghiogheny River. Most of the patch housing is still there. You will see it if you ride your bike along the Yough River Trail.
Mar. 2003 image by author This huge slate dump contains the refuse of the Pittsburgh Coal Company's Banning No. 3 mine.
Image courtesy Coal and Coke Heritage Center, Penn State Eberly Campus Abandoned preparation plant and a really huge refuse pile were part of Pittsburgh Coal Company's Banning No. 4 mine near West Newton, PA.
May 2002 image by author By 2002, only the concrete hull of the blending bins remained. Bankrupt LTV Steel was responsible for the site at the time.

"Train Man" writes, "I see you have visited the Banning 4 complex near West Newton. My wife being from that area and naturally my interest in coal mining has brought me to that site many times after its closure and before the trail. I hope you don't mind me sharing a few paragraphs with you about Banning No. 4. My first visit was in 1981, which was a drive-by and quick turnaround. I was met by a polite security guard who let me take a quick look before he sent me on my way. What I remember the most was all the mining equipment outside the mine near the slope entrance. Frequent visits by walking in came in the early 90's. It was naturally an open invite at that time. It looked like Republic Steel just walked away. Miners' records, blueprints, maps, reports and so on were scattered about the different buildings. The shower house with the hanging baskets still had shampoo, soap containers and shower slippers in them. The slope was sealed. However, a crushing wheel and dump station was built in the slope location. I understand it was never used.

I've retained blueprint drawings of the slope entrance with its combination track and conveyor system. Also the blueprints show the dump station within the mine. I would have to dig them out, but I believe they were dated 1960 or 61. The most interesting blueprint is the mine's proposed surface arrangement, dated 15 Feb 1961. I also came across safety inspection reports that were dated 28 & 29 May 1975 which revealed a lot of information about the mine's activities and workings. Here is some of the information:

  • Mine: Banning No. 4
  • Company: Republic Steel Corp
  • Location: West Newton, Westmoreland County, PA
  • Daily Production: 3,000 tons
  • Surface Employment: 59
  • Underground Employment: 253
  • No. of active sections: 6
  • Type of Mine: 1 Slope, 3 Shafts
  • Name of Coalbed: Pittsburgh
  • Thickness of Coalbed: 84 inches
  • No. of Production Shifts: 3

A friend who works for the DEP told me that the mine closed due to water from the Yough River entering the workings and Republic Steel closed it down. I know treatment stations at the site and another near Reduction are still maintained and working to this day to treat the water."

Mar. 2010 image by "Trains & Trails" via Flickr Ruins of the Pittsburgh Coal Company's Banning No. 1 coal mine along the Youghiogheny River. This was also the site of the infamous Darr Mine Disaster.
Aug. 2004 image by author Slate dump on the edge of McDonald, PA.
Aug. 2004 image by author Company duplexes in the Duck Hollow section of Imperial, PA in western Allegheny County.
Feb. 2016 image by author This brick building near Imperial was once the Dickson Mine power house. Dickson mine was once an Imperial Coal Co. operation and later, of course, was taken over by Pittsburgh Coal Co.
Aug. 2004 image by author There is nothing left of the Pittsburgh Coal Company's Montour No. 9 mine except for these coal company houses.
Sep. 2005 image by author Detail of original slate roof on a patch house in Manifold, PA. This coal patch in South Strabane Twp. was once operated by the Youghiogheny & Ohio Coal Company. The mine has been closed for years and the patch is now surrounded by sleek modern suburbs.
Sep. 2005 image by author Sealed mine portal in Essen, PA, near the intersection of Painters Run Road and Bower Hill Road.
Sep. 2005 image by author One of the last houses built by the Pittsburgh Coal Co. in Essen, PA.
Image courtesy of Ron Franko A scene from long ago in the Pittsburgh Terminal Railroad & Coal Company's No. 5 patch town at Curry, PA. The patch houses still exist along Brownsville Road near South Park.
Jan. 2010 image by author The patch houses from Curry No. 5 mine still exist today. One of them is even a law firm's office. They have been enveloped by the suburbs of Pittsburgh.
Jan. 2010 image by author The coal refuse pile, or "slate dump," remains from the Reissing Mine that used to be in Cecil Township, Washington County.
Image courtesy of Ron Franko Ron sent in this photo of a sealed railroad tunnel that has been mistakenly labeled, "Caution Mine Opening."
Image courtesy of Sam Baker An ancient ventilating fan along the Monongahela River.
Feb. 2016 image by author This photo, taken while I was stuck in traffic on Route 51, is of a church on the edge of Pittsburgh that is the only remaining structure from the Fairhaven coal mining town.
Image courtesy of phms.peterscreek.org Former Pittsburgh Terminal Railroad & Coal Co. No. 7 patch town.
Dec. 2003 image by author This coke plant in Monessen was originally part of Pittsburgh Steel Company, then later Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel, and in the 1990s until 2008 Koppers, and finally Arcelor-Mittal.
Mar. 2018 image by author Coal patch town at Gibson, Pa. The Gibson mine was opened by the Hillman Gas Coal Co. around 1921.
Mar. 2018 image by author Former Pittsburgh Coal Company store at Wickhaven, Pa.
Sep. 2007 image by author Memorial to the worst coal mine disaster in Pennsylvania history: the Darr Mine Disaster. 239 workers were killed on December 19, 1907.