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An anthracite pile in Trevorton, Pennsylvania. Anthracite derives from the Greek anthrakítēs (ἀνθρακίτης), literally "coal-like". [9] Other terms which refer to anthracite are black coal, hard coal, stone coal, [10] [11] dark coal, coffee coal, blind coal (in Scotland), [7] Kilkenny coal (in Ireland), [10] crow coal or craw coal, and black diamond.
Anthracite coal was first found in 1762, and then was used for the first time around 1769 by Obadiah Gore and his brother in their blacksmith shop in Wilkes-Barre. However, coal usage was generally restricted to local consumption need until the industry began to expand at the turn of the 19th century. [14]
In 1810, 176,000 short tons of bituminous coal, and 2,000 tons of anthracite coal, were mined in the United States. American coal mining grew rapidly in the early 1820s, doubling or tripling every decade. Anthracite mining overtook bituminous coal mining in the 1840s; from 1843 through 1868, more anthracite was mined than bituminous coal.
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Several violent incidents in the history of the U.S. labor movement occurred within the coal region, which was the home of the Molly Maguires and the location of the Lattimer Massacre. [ 6 ] Tours of underground mines can be taken in Ashland , Scranton , and Lansford , each of which have museums dedicated to the region's historic anthracite ...
A grade between bituminous coal and anthracite was once known as "steam coal" as it was widely used as a fuel for steam locomotives. In this specialized use, it is sometimes known as "sea coal" in the United States. [72] Small "steam coal", also called dry small steam nuts (DSSN), was used as a fuel for domestic water heating.
The discovery of anthracite coal in the region in the early 19th century led to Tamaqua's rise as a coal-producing community. The town was incorporated as a borough in 1832. [7] The first coal breaker, called "The Greenwood" was built as noted in the quotation, at the site of the first mine at the lower end of the Panther Creek Valley.
Much of the history of the Western Middle Anthracite Field aligns with much of the other significant events in the Coal Region in Pennsylvania. Yet, the region is specifically famous for housing the town of Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the famous hotbed of unionization in the coaling industry and of the Molly Maguires in the 1870s.