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History
The lands constituting Schuylkill County were acquired by Penn's proprietors by treaty executed August 22, 1749, with representatives of the Six Nations and the Delaware, Shamokin and Shawnee, who received 500 pounds "lawful money of Pennsylvania". The territory described included all of Schuylkill County, except the northern part of Union Township which was included in the purchase of 1768.
In the year 1754, the area that would become Schuylkill County was settled by Germans. The earliest settlers in southeastern Schuylkill County, were primarily Moravian missionaries from Saxony. Other early settlers in southern Schuylkill County were German Palatines.
An early mill in the county was built in 1744 by John Finscher, but it later burned down. The first log church in the county was built in 1755. Native American massacres were commonplace in Schuylkill County between 1755 and 1765. Warrant for tracts of land in the vicinity of McKeansburg were in existence as early as 1750. Found by Sammy Hepler in 1789.
Schuylkill County was created via an Act of Assembly on March 1, 1811. Orwigsburg was the first community in Schuylkill County to be laid out.
Kelayres Massacre On November 5, 1934 (election eve), a parade marched through the Village of Kelayres, Kline Township.[9] A crowd of Democratic Party supporters walked toward the home of Republican Party leader, Joseph Bruno. Frustration with Bruno family control of the school board and other local offices had been growing for years. Shots were fired from the Bruno home and yard located at Fourth & Centre Streets. Several people were killed and more than 20 marchers were injured.
Anthracite coal (then called stone coal) was discovered by Necho Allen near where Pottsville developed in 1790.[a] In the year 1795, a blacksmith in Schuylkill County named Whetstone learned how to use the coal successfully for smithing purposes. In 1806 coal was found while the tail-race was cut of the Valley (Iron) Forge, on the Schuylkill. Daniel Berlin, another blacksmith, also used it successfully, and smiths in the neighborhood adopted using the coal.
When coal was found useful for major industry, mining became important. The Schuylkill Navigation Company was chartered in 1815 to build a series of navigation improvements in the Schuylkill River. This was in the period of construction of the much larger Erie Canal along the Mohawk River in New York. It was well ahead of other key canals fueling the Industrial Revolution. The originators of the project did not count upon the coal trade to promote the success of the undertaking. They looked forward mainly to transport of the agricultural products being produced below the mountains, the lumber of Schuylkill County, and the grain and other products of the counties between the Susquehanna and Schuylkill rivers. The first shipments of coal by canal were made in 1822, when 1,480 tons were sent down the line
The anthracite mining industry peaked its production in 1917. Subsequently, the industry declined (with exceptions during the First and Second World Wars). In the 1950s and 1960s underground mining operations closed in Schuylkill County and throughout the Coal Region and surface mining became predominate.
In 2016, Schuylkill County had 6 underground mines and 25 surface mines operating, producing 62,000 tons and 833,000 tons of coal, respectively.[15] Operators today are re-mining areas of anthracite that were previously mined. It is estimated that 98 percent of the anthracite produced is from existing mines.
Adjacent Counties
- Luzerne County
- Carbon County
- Lehigh County
- Berks County
- Lebanon County
- Dauphin County
- Northumberland County
- Columbia County
For a complete list of Cities, Boroughs, Townships & Communities, please see Wikipedia.
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