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71-454: Tower City may refer to: Tower City, Pennsylvania Tower City, North Dakota Tower City Center , a retail, office, and transportation complex in downtown Cleveland, Ohio Tower City station Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Tower City . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

142-778: A humid continental climate ( Dfa/Dfb ) with four distinct seasons. The hardiness zone is 6b in most of the county, 7a in lowlands of the south-central and SW areas of the county and upriver to Pottsville and Minersville, and 6a in small higher northern areas. [1] Average monthly temperatures in the vicinity of downtown Pottsville range from 27.3 °F in January to 72.3 °F in July, while in Mahanoy City they range from 24.3 °F in January to 69.3 °F in July. Interstates, US Routes, and State Routes The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has designated Schuylkill County as

213-418: A Civil and Criminal Division. The Civil Division processes real estate and property paperwork, as well as issue firearms permits. The Criminal Division is responsible for the security of the courthouses, as well as the transportation of prisoners to and from court hearings and to other correctional facilities. The Sheriff's Department is also responsible for detecting and interdicting weapons before they can enter

284-412: A core industry, fuel source, and employment sector in the county throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Schuylkill County was created via an Act of Assembly on March 1, 1811, from portions of Berks and Northampton counties. More land was added to the county in 1818, from Columbia and Luzerne counties. At the time of its creation, the county had a population of about 6,000. Orwigsburg

355-664: A household in the borough was $ 30,037, and the median income for a family was $ 39,219. Males had a median income of $ 29,286 versus $ 25,089 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 15,678. About 7.3% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over. Tower City is part of the Williams Valley School District , which services communities in both western Schuylkill County and eastern Dauphin County . Tower City

426-431: A housing shortage. After these initial growing pains, the town grew steadily due to the collieries, and was officially incorporated on December 19, 1892 as a borough of Porter Township, Schuylkill County. The Brookside was established in 1868, and administered by Williams, Jones, Savage, and W.B. Kaufman. This group held the colliery until 1872, and then sold it to Repplier & Company, which held it until 1873. During

497-622: A line of stagecoaches or transportation wagons. Railroads ultimately replaced the canals as the primary means of transporting coal to markets. Mining was taken over by major corporate business, especially after the Civil War . As a result, the Middle Coal Field was developed in the 1860s and the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad created a subsidiary, Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company , to buy or lease, and develop

568-919: A parade marched through Kelayres in Kline Township . A crowd of Democratic Party supporters walked toward the home of Republican Party leader Joseph Bruno. Frustration with Bruno family's 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 and Centre Streets. Several people were killed and more than 20 marchers were injured. In 2016, Schuylkill County had six underground mines and 25 surface mines operating, producing 62,000 tons and 833,000 tons of coal, respectively. In 2024, Schuylkill County had four underground mines and 17 surface mines operating, producing 52,000 and 1,624,000 tons of coal, respectively Operators today are re-mining areas of anthracite that were previously mined. It

639-523: A partial claim to any of the lands began to litigate. Only Tower's considerable skill as a lawyer kept the whole enterprise from falling apart. In 1867, Tower decided to start selling the lands, wanting to realize his interest in them. Unfortunately, he could not find a buyer at the time due to the title issues. Deciding instead to establish collieries on the land, in March 1868 he leased 1,503 acres (608 ha) (6 km ) to two independent coal companies. It

710-621: A profit of $ 1.5 million as per the original contract with the Munson family. (Alfred Munson died in May 1854.) Later that year, the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company (a company set up by the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad to administer their anthracite properties) came into possession of the Brookside through its purchase of the Munson and Williams lands. When closed in 1938,

781-550: A regular supply of anthracite coal ensured, the southern anthracite coal field in Schuylkill County attracted speculators and fortune hunters. They were inspired by dreams of becoming millionaires. This was the first speculative era of the Schuylkill coal trade. Pottsville became the center of the movement. The more successful explorers revealed numerous veins of coal, extending over a vast stretch of county and with

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852-489: A seemingly inexhaustible quantity of coal. These discoveries brought excitement and speculation; lands were bought and sold; roads were laid out in the forest, mines were opened and railroads projected, and innumerable town plots planned. The demand for houses was so great that the lumber for many was framed in Philadelphia and sent by canal to the burgeoning coal region. At this stage, coal mining firms were predominantly small and family owned. The residents and entrepreneurs of

923-744: A treaty executed August 22, 1749, with representatives of the Six Nations and the Delaware , Shamokin , and Shawnee tribes, who received 500 pounds in "lawful money of Pennsylvania". The acquired territory described included all of Schuylkill County except the northern part of Union Township , which was included in the purchase of 1768. In 1744, an early mill was built in the county by John Finscher, but it later burned down. In 1754, present-day Schuylkill, Berks , Dauphin , Lebanon , and Lehigh counties were settled by German immigrants. The earliest settlers in southeastern Schuylkill County, which

994-589: Is Pottsville . The county is part of the Northeast Pennsylvania region of the state. The county is part of the Pottsville micropolitan statistical area , and borders eight counties: Berks and Lebanon counties to its south, Dauphin and Northumberland counties to its west, Columbia and Luzerne counties to its north, and Carbon and Lehigh counties to its east. The county is approximately 47 miles (76 km) west of Allentown ,

1065-561: Is estimated that 98 percent of the anthracite produced is from existing mines. Schuylkill County's history is not solely a story about coal mining and railroads. The first settlers were farmers or lumbermen. In the fertile agricultural valleys (not underlain with coal) between the Blue Mountain range in the south to near the Susquehanna River to the north, generations of farming families have helped feed their neighbors in

1136-773: The British Isles and Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. As mines became more numerous (by 1846 there were 110 operators in the region and 142 collieries in Schuylkill County) and more complex (in 1846 there were 35 collieries below water level), mechanical breakers, steam locomotive, it became more labor-intensive both for accomplishing mining tasks and supporting mining's peripheral industries. Such industries included manufacturing of explosives, metal screens, pump components, piping, and timber for support. This led to an influx of population into Schuylkill and other anthracite counties to fill these jobs. Beginning with

1207-659: The Delaware River . The Schuylkill drains the majority of the county while some western and northern areas of the county are drained by the Susquehanna River . The Swatara Creek , Wiconisco Creek , Mahantango Creek , Mahanoy Creek , and Catawissa Creek all start in Schuylkill County and are tributaries of the Susquehanna. Areas of the eastern portion of the county drain into the Lehigh River via

1278-748: The Mahanoy Valley . Several railroads were founded in the late 1820s and early 1830s north of the Schuylkill Canal to enable the transport of coal to the canal terminus in Philadelphia and other markets, including: Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven , served the Schuylkill Canal. Chartered in 1831, tracks were laid from the flats in Schuylkill Haven along the river through Cressona and Minersville to Tremont . The railroad eventually reached Ashland and Locust Gap via

1349-634: The Pocono Mountains . As a result, like other portions of the Poconos, eastern Schuylkill has experienced an influx of people from New York City and New Jersey who commute into Manhattan each day. The commute can take up to two hours each way due to distance and traffic. Far western areas of the county are located near Harrisburg and are sometimes considered to be located in South Central Pennsylvania . The county has

1420-701: The Pottsville, PA micropolitan statistical area (μSA) . As of the 2010 U.S. Census the micropolitan area ranked the number 1 most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 5th most populous in the United States with a population of 148,289. The Schuylkill County Sheriff's Department consists of the Sheriff's Office and operates the Central Booking unit. The Sheriff's Office is composed of

1491-697: The Quakake Creek , Nesquehoning Creek , Mahoning Creek, and Lizard Creek , all of which also start in the county. To the south, southern Schuylkill county is home to Blue Mountain and the Appalachian Trail . Broad Mountain crosses the county from northeast to southwest. Schuylkill County is located in northeastern Pennsylvania's Coal Region . It is located just north of the Lehigh Valley and Reading metropolitan areas. Portions of eastern Schuylkill County around Tamaqua are located in

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1562-575: The Schuylkill Canal southward from Port Carbon to Philadelphia . Coal mined by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company in the Tamaqua and Coaldale areas was often shipped down the Lehigh Canal from Jim Thorpe in neighboring Carbon County . To the north, mountain and ridges were a natural barrier to navigation. Other means were required to transport coal out of the rich basin of

1633-499: The United States Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 0.3 square mile (0.8 km ), all land. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,396 people, 608 households, and 383 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,546.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,755.5/km ). There were 684 housing units at an average density of 2,227.8 per square mile (860.2/km ). The racial makeup of

1704-429: The 19th century, the largest railyard and roundhouse in the world was located at Mill Creek between Pottsville and St. Clair . Since the early 21st century, Schuylkill County has decreased its use of coal power and become a major producer of renewable energy. Twenty-five percent of the county's electrical production currently comes from renewable energy sources. Wind power is the largest producer, accounting for 80% of

1775-547: The Brookside branch into the Williams Valley west of Tower City. It came under Reading control itself within a few years. The Brookside branch was cut back to Keffer's Station in 1971, ending Tower City's connection with the then-Reading Company. On August 2, 1913, a double explosion occurred at the East Brookside Colliery, claiming the lives of eighteen men and seriously injuring two more. After

1846-588: The Gordon Planes. Construction on the Little Schuylkill Railroad began in 1829. It ran from Port Clinton northward to Mahanoy Junction above Tamaqua . It would become the keystone of the Philadelphia and Reading system, serving as a gauntlet for its eastern and western branches. Connecting with it were four important lines. The 146 miles (235 km) Catawissa Railroad operated from Mahanoy Junction to West Milton, providing access to

1917-681: The Irish immigration in the 1840s, which was fueled by the Great Famine and followed the end of the Civil War, immigrants from Eastern Europe , including Poles, Hungarians, Lithuanians, Slovaks, Rusyns, Ukrainians, and Belarusians (which were usually known as Ruthenians), often from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, settled in Schuylkill County and labored in the county coal mines. By the 1880s and 1890s, thousands of Italians immigrated to

1988-694: The Mahanoy region by joining the northern terminus of the Little Schuylkill with connections to New York City , Scranton and also points west. At Port Clinton, it connected with the P&;R 's main line from Mount Carbon . Its most important connection would be with the Mahanoy and Broad Mountain Railway via Mahanoy Tunnel and East Mahanoy Railroad. There was once over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of railroad track in Schuylkill County. At one point in

2059-650: The Republican Party has been historically dominant in Schuylkill County politics, Democrats became dominant at the county level after the 2007 elections. John McCain received 53.6% of the vote to 44.9% for Barack Obama in November 2008. In the state row offices of the same election, each statewide winner carried the county. In 2006 Democrat Tim Seip won the heavily Republican 125th House district and Bob Casey Jr. carried Schuylkill when he unseated incumbent Republican US Senator Rick Santorum . For many years,

2130-405: The Schuylkill region opposed the entry here of incorporated coal companies. In these years, coal mining operations in the Schuylkill region were conducted with economy, and relatively little capital was required. As the workings were all above the water level, no machinery was required for water drainage or for hoisting coal to the surface. Coal breakers and other expensive fixtures and appliances for

2201-440: The Sheriff's Department performs patrol duties in various communities within Schuylkill county and provides support to other Police agencies during major incidents, search warrant executions, arrest warrant operations, special events and in various other capacities. As of November 2008 , there were 94,110 registered voters in Schuylkill County. As of January 2023 , there were 88,642 registered voters in Schuylkill County. While

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2272-410: The United States by 1940. Women's clothing became the state's fastest growing product. The dominance of the industry in Schuylkill County lasted until the last decade of the 20th century, when it was clear that the garment manufacturing industry was leaving Schuylkill County and other regions of the U.S. and moving to foreign countries. By 2011, only six manufacturers employing 341 people remained in

2343-503: The borough was 98.85% White , 0.21% African American , 0.50% from other races , and 0.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.86% of the population. There were 608 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.9% had someone living alone who

2414-399: The coal, intending to encourage individuals to find ways to use it. Most of the experiments failed, and Shoemaker was nearly run out of town and called an imposter but Mellon and Bishop of Delaware County successfully used it in their rolling mill . When other rolling mills also adopted the use of coal as fuel, a large industrial market and demand developed. The Schuylkill Navigation Company

2485-486: The colliery had ceased production on Thursday night, Charles Portland, a contractor for the Reading, kept some of the men at work. The work force consisted of "Muckers", who are to clean out debris from blasting (work always done in the evening), a mucker boss, a blacksmith, and his assistant. The next day, Mine Boss John Farrell and Superintendent John Lorenz entered the mine to inspect some new work. At about noon, men on

2556-525: The colliery had produced a total of 19,011,169 tons of coal over its lifetime. The original owners of the Tower colliery were E.D. and James Savage, Evans, and Althouse. They operated the colliery from 1868 to 1873, when it was purchased by Repplier, Gordon & Company. The colliery was in service until 1874, then abandoned. The total production of the Tower colliery to 1874 was 101,550 tons of coal. The Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company reopened

2627-776: The colliery in 1892 and renamed it the East Brookside. It was jointly operated with the Brookside, now known as the West Brookside. Tower City's emerging coal industry was initially serviced by the Good Spring Railroad , which built an extension from Donaldson to the Brookside in 1867. The Good Spring was initially controlled by the Reading Railroad , but transferred to the property of the Swatara Railroad in 1863. The Good Spring

2698-482: The county in pursuit of mining jobs. The anthracite mining industry peaked in production in 1917 and subsequently declined with the exception of periods during World War I and World War II . In the 1950s and 1960s, underground mining operations closed in Schuylkill County and throughout the Coal Region and surface mining became predominate. On November 5, 1934, the eve of the 1934 United States elections ,

2769-544: The county was represented in the United States House of Representatives by conservative Democrat Tim Holden of St. Clair . Former State Representative Dave Argall won the special election of March 3 to succeed the late State Senator Jim Rhoades and was sworn in on March 17. Jerry Knowles won the special election for Argall's seat in the 124th House district on May 19. In 2010, the GOP regained ground when Seip

2840-505: The county. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 783 square miles (2,030 km ), of which 779 square miles (2,020 km ) is land and 4.2 square miles (11 km ) (0.5%) is water. The Schuylkill River headwaters are found in the county, starting in the Appalachian Mountains , and flows through many towns and the city of Reading, Pennsylvania , to Philadelphia where it flows into

2911-508: The course of work, one of the mucker's shovels may have struck the dynamite, detonating it. The second explosion is felt to have been caused by mine gases released by the first explosion. On Tuesday, March 1, 1977, workers in the Porter Tunnel mine, while working in a new area, broke into a flooded area of the abandoned Bush Old Bootleg Slope Mine, causing the Porter Tunnel to flood. Nine miners were killed, three were injured, and one

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2982-542: The courthouse and making criminal arrests of persons when weapons are found. The Sheriff's Department provides all facets of security for the County courthouse and makes arrests inside the courthouse for various offenses including possession of weapons and controlled substances as well as the arrest of disorderly persons and other violations of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code Title 18. All Deputy Sheriffs are sworn law enforcement officers who must attend

3053-522: The early 1870s, Franklin Gowen , President of the Reading Railroad , had begun purchasing coal lands along the Railroad's right-of-way for the express purpose of building an anthracite coal monopoly. By 1875, Gowen had accumulated 70,000 acres (28,328 ha) (283 km ), and Tower accepted his offer of purchase for his lands. Tower asked for and received $ 3 million from Gowen, for which Tower realized

3124-561: The estimated value of agricultural products in Schuylkill County sold was $ 165,853,000, ranking 9th in the State and 704th in the US (counties). The county ranks in the top 100 in the US counties for nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod products and cut Christmas trees and short rotation woody crops. In the early 19th century, southern Schuylkill County was served by the Union Canal out of Pine Grove Township with connections west, and

3195-430: The expanding industrial coal trade. Consumption of coal along the Schuylkill above Philadelphia in 1839 was 30,290 tons when Pottsville, the first anthracite furnace in the United States, became operational. By 1849, consumption had increased to 239,290 tons, to 554,774 tons in 1859, and to 1,787,205 tons in 1873. The numerous jobs in the mining industry comprised a catalyst for mass immigration to Schuylkill County from

3266-415: The land the pair were after, and charged exorbitant prices for it. Or worse, refuse to sell it at all. Thus, they chose to operate in secret. Tower would make the purchases, and convey the titles to legal dummies to hide the actual ownership of the land. By 1858 Tower and Munson were owners of eleven thousand acres (45 km ). By now, Munson and Tower's plan was well out of the bag, and anyone who had even

3337-555: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tower_City&oldid=933216393 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Tower City, Pennsylvania Tower City is located at 40°35′20″N 76°33′12″W  /  40.58889°N 76.55333°W  / 40.58889; -76.55333 (40.588869, −76.553282). According to

3408-463: The mines, on the rails, on the canals, and in the towns within and surrounding the county. After settlement of the farms, came a period of diversified, small scale production that lasted until about the late 19th century. After then, more highly mechanized small farms combined livestock and crop production for new, mainly local and regional markets. Then the system re-oriented to add orchard products, trees and plant products and poultry farming. In 2012,

3479-491: The preparation of coal had not then been introduced. Numerous operators produced from five to six thousand tons for market annually, which was then considered a respectable business, who had never committed thousands of dollars to their enterprises, including their first land purchases of coal mines. Coal land could be bought and mines opened for less capital than the purchase and stocking of a decent farm, and coal mines could be worked for less capital than that required to establish

3550-520: The project did not count upon the coal trade to promote the success of the undertaking. They looked forward mainly to transporting 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. In 1822, in the first shipment of coal on the line, 1,480 tons of coal were transported from present-day Schuylkill County. With

3621-548: The renewable energy output, while solar and biomass account for 20%. The Locust Ridge wind turbines in the north of the county produce enough electricity for 37,500 homes, equivalent to the 48 MW of electricity generated by the Wheelabrator Frackville's waste coal plant. Textile manufacturing evolved as a major industry in the county near the beginning of the 20th Century. Phillips & Jones Co., Now known as Phillips Van Heusen, began in Pottsville , and

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3692-688: The state Sheriff Academy in State College to be certified as a Deputy Sheriff. The Sheriff Academy is a paramilitary Sheriff academy that consists of 6 months of intense training in all facets of criminal and civil law of Pennsylvania as well as physical training, self defense training, weapons certification and training, as well as tactical training, training in handcuffing and restraint, courtroom and courthouse security, and conducting security assessments of Courthouse and courtroom facilities. Central Booking processes fingerprints and photographs of arrested individuals. When requested by other police agencies,

3763-551: The state's third-largest city, and 97 miles (156 km) northwest of Philadelphia , the state's largest city. The county was created on March 1, 1811, from parts of Berks and Northampton counties and named for the Schuylkill River , which originates in the county. On March 3, 1818, additional territory in its northeast was added from Columbia and Luzerne counties. The lands that constitute present-day Schuylkill County were acquired by William Penn 's proprietors in

3834-411: The surface reported a rumbling sound, which was followed by clouds of dust from the main entrance and fan-house. A rescue party of six men was mustered and lowered into the slope. The second explosion occurred shortly thereafter, roughly 20 minutes after the first. The work crew carried 175 pounds (79 kg) of dynamite into the mine the night before the explosion. It has been speculated that, during

3905-509: The textile industry, which employed significant numbers of women, began to rival the coal mining industry in size, especially after the end of World War II , when that industry began to collapse. As a consequence of the Great Depression, garment manufacturers began to look for people willing to work at lower wages outside of New York City , the center of the industry. Pennsylvania became the third-highest ranked apparel manufacturer in

3976-607: The vote in his triumph in 2024, making it the best performance for a Republican in the county in presidential history, and the first Republican presidential candidate to crack 70% of the vote in the county. Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities , boroughs , townships , and, in at most two cases, towns . The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Schuylkill County: Census-designated places are unincorporated communities designated by

4047-470: The work areas to probe for water. Workers had testified that this program was discontinued prior to the flood. Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Schuylkill County ( / ˈ s k uː l k ɪ l / , locally /- k əl / ; Pennsylvania Dutch : Schulkill Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . As of the 2020 census , the population was 143,049. The county seat

4118-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.92. In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.3 males. The median income for

4189-406: Was a 15-year term, with a rental of $ .30 for each ton of coal mined. The companies placed two collieries on the land, the Tower (Later known as East Brookside) and the Brookside. Near the collieries, Tower began to develop a small town, which was named Tower City when first surveyed. Tower laid out the town, and rented lots to settlers. The town was up and running by mid-1872, and immediately suffered

4260-475: Was approved by Governor Francis R. Shunk on March 13, submitting the question to the voters. The change was desired principally because the railroad and canal connections with Orwigsburg were problematic while Pottsville had facilities and was within easy access from all parts of the county. In 1812, George Shoemaker and Necho Allen discovered stone coal at Centerville in Schuylkill County, and personally delivered some of it to Philadelphia . He gave away most of

4331-750: Was chartered in 1815 to build a series of navigation improvements in the Schuylkill River during a period when the much larger Erie Canal along the Mohawk River in New York state had already been developed and was well ahead of other key canals fueling the American Industrial Revolution , including the Delaware and Hudson , the Lehigh , the Chesapeake and Ohio , Delaware and Raritan , and Morris canals. The originators of

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4402-429: Was defeated for reelection by Republican Mike Tobash . In 2011, the GOP reclaimed the county government. This GOP resurgence has been followed by the subsequent election of Donald Trump in 2016, where he received 69% of the area's popular vote to Hillary Clinton 's 26.7%. Trump received the highest percentage of the vote of any Republican presidential candidate in the county's history. He subsequently received 70.6% of

4473-485: Was discovered near present-day Pottsville by Necho Allen. In 1795, a blacksmith based in Schuylkill County known as Whetstone resolved the question of how to use anthracite successfully for blacksmithing purposes. In 1806, additional sources of coal were found as the tailrace was cut on the Schuylkill River . Daniel Berlin, another blacksmith, used it successfully, and blacksmiths in the county and surrounding Coal Region ultimately adopted its use, which represented

4544-685: Was founded by and named for Charlemagne Tower , a New York–born lawyer who had come to Schuylkill County , Pennsylvania in 1846 to work with the legal issues regarding land claims to large coal and mineral deposits in that area. His first Pennsylvania practice was located in Orwigsburg , and then relocated to Pottsville in 1850 when it was made the Schyulkill County seat. Not long after Tower came to Pottsville, he began furiously purchasing and clearing liens to lands containing large anthracite deposits in and around Schuylkill County. This

4615-409: Was once Schuylkill County's largest employer. Another textile giant, John E. Morgan Knitting Mills, began manufacturing in 1945 in Tamaqua , eventually becoming the largest employer in the county in the between 1970 and 1980. In addition there were numerous smaller shops all over the county, doing subcontract work for major manufacturers all over the nation. In the latter half of the 20th century,

4686-503: Was part of an elaborate land grab scheme devised by Tower and his partner, Alfred Munson of Utica , NY. The plan called for Tower to use his legal acumen to clear all the liens and opposing claims to the 8,000-acre (32 km ) Munson-Williams claim, and to all the land around it. In short, the partners hoped to create a single landed estate, which would have measured 65 miles by 4½ miles (105 km by 7 km) at its widest point in southwest Schuylkill County. In return, Tower

4757-430: Was the first organized community in Schuylkill County. During the county's early years, there was an attempt to make McKeansburg the county seat ; Orwigsburg was also a contender. Orwigsburg was selected as the county seat because it was deemed to be better suited for industries. Beginning in 1831, support for moving the county seat to Pottsville began gaining traction. In 1846, the state legislature passed an Act that

4828-706: Was then consolidated along with several other area railroads to form the Lebanon and Tremont Railroad in March 1871, and was reacquired by and merged into the Reading about a month later. In this new arrangement, the former Good Spring line was retitled as the Brookside Branch, and ran from the Brookside Colliery to Tremont, where it met the Lebanon and Tremont Branch. The Williams Valley Railroad began operations in 1892, which extended further from

4899-500: Was then part of Northampton County , were primarily Moravian Palatines from the Saxony region of Germany . In 1755, the first log church was built in the county. Native American massacres were commonplace in Schuylkill County between 1755 and 1765. Warrant for tracts of land in the vicinity of McKeansburg were established as early as 1750. In 1790, anthracite , a highly efficient form of coal then known as stone coal,

4970-476: Was to receive ownership and title to one half of all the land acquired once all the cost to Munson had been settled, or until Tower paid him half the value of the total land purchase. At the time, the Schuylkill Valley was a hotly contested property, with constant conflicts over titles and rights. Had any of their competitors become aware of what Tower and Munson were up to, they well may have bought up

5041-485: Was trapped, but eventually rescued. Subsequent investigation determined that the map of the area used by management of the Porter Tunnel was inaccurate. It did not show the locations of all known bootleg mine works in the area, including most significantly, the Bush Old Bootleg. Management had suspected that the tunnel was nearby, and had instituted a program of drilling 26-foot-long (7.9 m) test holes in

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