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{{Short description|Pennsylvania region}}
{{about|coal-mining region in northeastern Pennsylvania|coal-mining regions in general|coal-mining region}}
[[File:Jim Thorpe Lehigh Broadway 2898px.jpg|thumb|The corporate headquarters of [[Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company]] in Mauch Chunk in present-day [[Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania]] in the Coal Region. The company, which helped spearhead the [[Industrial Revolution in the United States|U.S. industrial revolution]], was founded in 1822 and dissolved in 1986.]]
The '''Coal Region''' is a region of [[Northeastern Pennsylvania]]. It is known for being home to the largest known deposits of [[anthracite|anthracite coal]] in the world with an estimated reserve of seven billion short tons.

The region is typically defined as comprising five Pennsylvania counties, [[Carbon County, Pennsylvania|Carbon County]], [[Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania|Lackawanna County]], [[Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Luzerne County]], [[Northumberland County, Pennsylvania|Northumberland County]], and [[Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania|Schuylkill County]]. It is home to 910,716 people as of the 2010 census.<ref>Carpenito, Thomas (2019) ''"The State of Coal and Renewable Energy in Schuylkill County"'', https://medium.com/@thomascarpenito3/state-of-coal-and-renewable-energy-in-schuylkill-f8850fec3fa6</ref>{{void|bad link= {{plain link|https://medium.com/@thomascarpenito3/state-of-coal-and-renewable-energy-in-schuylkill-f8850fec3fa6.html/ |Necho Allen}}.}}

The Coal Region is bordered by [[Berks County, Pennsylvania|Berks]], [[Lehigh County, Pennsylvania|Lehigh]], and [[Northampton County, Pennsylvania|Northampton]] Counties (including the [[Lehigh Valley]]) to its south; [[Columbia County, Pennsylvania|Columbia]] and [[Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin]] Counties to its west; [[Wyoming County, Pennsylvania|Wyoming County]] to its north; and Monroe County, Pennsylvania to its east.

==History==
{{See also|History of Pennsylvania}}

===18th century===
{{Further|Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company}}
[[File:"Follow The Gleam", (Welsh Miner In Pennsylvania Coal Mine A Mile From Daylight) by Lewis Hine.jpg|thumb|A [[Wales|Welsh]] miner in a coal mine in Pennsylvania's Coal Region in 1910]]
By the 18th century, the [[Susquehannock]] [[Native American in the United States|Native American]] tribe that had inhabited the region was reduced 90 percent<ref name="AmHertCites">see facts cited and cites of American Heritage book of Indians (1961) in articles: [[Iroquois]], [[Susquehannock]]</ref> in three years of a plague of diseases and possibly war,<ref name="AmHertCites"/> opening up the Susquehanna Valley and all of Pennsylvania to European settlers. Settlement in the region predates the [[American Revolution]]. Both Delaware and Susquehannock power had been broken by disease and wars between Native American tribes before the British took over the Dutch and Swedish colonies and settled Pennsylvania.

The first discovery of anthracite coal in the region occurred in 1762, and the first mine was established 13 years later, in 1775 near present-day [[Pittston, Pennsylvania|Pittston]].<ref>http://www.msha.gov/district/dist_01/history/history.htm|work=The {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324102726/http://www.msha.gov/district/dist_01/history/history.htm%7Cwork=The |date=2012-03-24 }} U.S. Department of Labor|publisher=Mine Safety and Health Administration</ref>

In 1791, [[anthracite]] was discovered by a hunter atop [[Pisgah Ridge]], and by 1792 the [[Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company]] began producing and shipping coal to [[Philadelphia]] via present-day [[Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania|Jim Thorpe]] from the Southern Anthracite Field and [[Summit Hill, Pennsylvania|Summit Hill]], built between [[Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania|Schuylkill County]] and what would become [[Carbon County, Pennsylvania|Carbon County]].

===19th century===
In 1818, customers fed up with the inconsistent mismanagement leased the Lehigh Coal Mining Company and founded the Lehigh Navigation Company. Construction of [[canal|navigation]] and [[lock (water transport)|locks]] and [[dam]]s on the [[Lehigh River]] rapids, later known as the [[Lehigh Canal]], was completed in 1820.

In 1822, the two companies merged as the [[Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company]] (LC&N). By 1824, the company was shipping large volumes of coal down the Lehigh and Delaware Canals. Meanwhile, three brothers had similar ideas from near the turn of the century, and about the same time began mining coal in [[Carbondale, Pennsylvania|Carbondale]], {{convert|15|mi|km|1}} northeast of Scranton, but high enough to run a [[gravity railroad]] to the Delaware River and feed [[New York City]] via the [[Delaware and Hudson Canal]]. Pennsylvania began the Delaware Canal to connect the Lehigh Canal to Philadelphia and environs, while funding to build a canal across the Appalachians' [[Allegheny Mountains]] to [[Pittsburgh]]. In 1827, LC&N built the nation's second railroad, whose [[Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway]] ran from [[Summit Hill, Pennsylvania|Summit Hill]] to present-day [[Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania|Jim Thorpe]].

The region's population grew rapidly following the [[American Civil War]], due largely to the expansion of the mining and railroad industries. English, Welsh, Irish, and German immigrants formed a large portion of this increase. This immigration wave was followed, in turn, by Polish, Slovak, Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Italian, Russian, Belarusian, Jewish,<ref>[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=allgs&gss=sfs63_home&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&mswpn__ftp=Luzerne%20County%2C%20Pennsylvania%2C%20USA&mswpn=1831&mswpn_PInfo=7-%7C0%7C1652393%7C0%7C2%7C3244%7C41%7C0%7C1831%7C0%7C0%7C&MSAV=1&cpxt=1&cp=101&catbucket=rstp Many descents of openly-Jewish immigrants were born in], e.g., [[Luzerne County]] alone, per [[JewishGen]] and [[Ancestry.com]].</ref> and Lithuanian immigrants. The influence of these immigrant populations is still strongly felt in the region, with various towns featuring and offering various ethnic characters and cuisine.

===20th century===
In 1959, the [[Knox Mine Disaster]] served as a death knell for deep mining, leading to its ultimate shutdown in the mid-1960s;<ref>Karen Ahlquist, 2006. Chorus and Community. University of Illinois Press. p. 225. {{ISBN|978-0-252-07284-0}}.</ref> almost all current anthracite mining is done via strip mining.

[[Surface mining|Strip mines]] and fires, most notably in [[Centralia mine fire|Centralia]], remain visible. 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]].<ref>Thomas Keil, Jacqueline M. Keil; 2014. Anthracite's Demise and the Post-Coal Economy of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Lehigh University Press. pp. 15–. {{ISBN|978-1-61146-176-3}}.</ref>

Tours of underground mines can be taken in [[Ashland, Pennsylvania|Ashland]], [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]], and [[Lansford, Pennsylvania|Lansford]], each of which have museums dedicated to the region's historic anthracite mining industry. Patch towns and small villages, often historically founded and owned by mining companies, also still exist. While they are no longer company-owned, most of them still exist as boroughs or townships, and one of them, the [[Eckley Miners' Village]], is a museum and preserved historical town owned and administered by the [[Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission]], which seeks to restore patch towns to their original state.

==Geography==
{{Further|Geography of Pennsylvania}}
[[File:Delaware and Hudson Canal Map.png|thumb|The Coal Region's route to [[New York City]], which ultimately served as the foundation for the [[Delaware and Hudson Railway]] and inspired the construction of the [[Delaware and Hudson Canal]] in 1872]]
The Coal Region lies north of the [[Lehigh Valley]] and [[Berks County, Pennsylvania|Berks County]] regions, south of the [[Endless Mountains]], west of the [[Pocono Mountains]], and east of the [[Susquehanna Valley]].  The region lies at the northern edge of the [[Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians]], and draws its name from the vast deposits of anthracite coal that can be found under several of the valleys in the region.

The [[Wyoming Valley]] is the most densely populated of these valleys, and contains the cities of [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]], [[Greater Pittston]], and [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]]. [[Hazleton, Pennsylvania|Hazleton]] and [[Pottsville, Pennsylvania|Pottsville]] are two of the larger cities in the southern portion of the region. The [[Lehigh River|Lehigh]] and [[Schuylkill River|Schuylkill]] rivers both originate within the region, while the much larger [[Susquehanna River]] skirts the northern edge.

Academics have made the distinction between the North Anthracite Coal Field and the South Anthracite Coal Field,<ref name=Healy>Healey, Richard (2005) ''"The Breakers of the Northern Anthracite Coalfield of Pennsylvania", 'Vol. 1, Major breakers prior to 1902'.'' Dept of Geography, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth. ''"Northern Anthracite Coalfield of Pennsylvania" (implying there is a Southern Anthracite Coalfield of Pennsylvania)''</ref> the lower region bearing the further classification [[Anthracite Upland]]s<ref name=Sevon>Sevon, W. D., compiler, 2000, {{plain link|https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map13.jpg|"Physiographic provinces of Pennsylvania"}}, Pennsylvania Geological Survey of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th ser., Map 13, scale 1:2,000,000.</ref> in physical geology. The Southern Coal Region can be further broken into the Southeastern and Southwestern Coal Regions, with the divide between the [[Little Schuylkill River]] and easternmost tributary of the [[Schuylkill River]] with the additional divide line from the Lehigh River watershed extended through [[Barnesville, PA|Barnesville]] the determining basins.

{| class=wikitable
|- style="background:#ccc;"
!'''County'''!!'''2010 Population'''!!'''2015 Population'''!!'''Area'''
|-
|''' [[Carbon County, Pennsylvania|Carbon County]]'''||65,249||63,960||387 sq mi (1,002&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
|''' [[Columbia County, Pennsylvania|Columbia County]]'''||67,295||66,672||490 sq mi (1,269&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
|''' [[Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania|Lackawanna County]]'''||214,437||211,917||465 sq mi (1,204&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)
|- 
|''' [[Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Luzerne County]]'''||320,918||318,449||906 sq mi (2,350 km2)
|- 
|''' [[Northumberland County, Pennsylvania|Northumberland County]]'''||94,528||93,246||478 sq mi (1,238&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)
|- 
|''' [[Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania|Schuylkill County]]'''||148,289||144,590||783 sq mi (2,028&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
|'''Total'''||910,716||898,834||3,509 sq mi (9,088&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)
|}

==People==
{{anchor|Famous people from the Coal Region}}
;Notable people from the Coal Region
{{Div col|small=yes}}
*[[Nick Adams (actor, born 1931)|Nick Adams]], actor
*[[Brianna Collins (Moran) (singer/songwriter in  Tigers Jaw, Artist, born 1991)|Brianna Collins]], singer/songwriter, artist
*[[Joe Amato (dragster driver)|Joe Amato]], five-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Drag Racer
*[[Gary Becker]], [[Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences|Nobel Prize]]–winning economist
*[[Joe Biden]], 46th President of the United States
*[[David Bohm]], quantum physicist
*[[George Bretz (photographer)|George Bretz]] (1842–1895), photographed the Coal Region
*[[Les Brown (bandleader)|Les Brown]], jazz musician
*[[Bill Bufalino]], attorney
*[[Russell Bufalino]], [[Northeastern Pennsylvania]] crime boss and head of [[Bufalino crime family]]
*[[Ben Burnley]], lead singer of rock band [[Breaking Benjamin]]
*[[P. J. Carlesimo]], professional basketball coach, [[San Antonio Spurs]]
*[[Robert P. Casey]], former Governor of Pennsylvania
*[[Bob Casey, Jr.]], U.S. Senator
*[[George Catlin]], artist
*[[Jimmy Cefalo]], professional football player, [[Miami Dolphins]]
*[[Stan Coveleski]], Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member
*[[Anthony P. Damato]], United States Marine, Medal of Honor recipient
*[[Jack Dolbin]], professional football player, Denver Broncos
*[[Jimmy Dorsey]], jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, big band leader
*[[Tommy Dorsey]], jazz trombonist, big band leader
*[[Ellen Albertini Dow]], actress, ''The Wedding Singer''{{'}}s Rapping Granny
*[[Ham Fisher]], cartoonist
*[[Daniel J. Flood]], U.S. Congressman
*[[Alexander J. Foley|Alexander Joseph Foley]], United States Marine, Medal of Honor recipient
*[[Howard Gardner]], scientist, author
*[[James M. Gavin]], Lieutenant General, United States Army
*[[Jimmy Gownley]], author, illustrator, cartoonist
*[[Tim Holden]], former U.S. Congressman 
*[[Henry Hynoski]], professional football player for the New York Giants
*[[Jane Jacobs]], sociologist, author
*[[Russell Johnson]], actor
*[[John E. Jones III]], judge
*[[George Joulwan]],  [[Supreme Allied Commander, Europe]] from 1993 to 1997.
*[[Paul E. Kanjorski]], member of Congress
*[[Jean Kerr]], author
*[[Eddie Korbich]], actor
*[[William Kotzwinkle]], author
*[[Matthew Lesko]], infomercial personality
*[[Edward B. Lewis]], Nobel Prize-winning scientist
*[[Joe Maddon]], manager of the Chicago Cubs
*[[Joseph L. Mankiewicz]], film director, producer, and screenwriter
*[[Richard Marcinko]], Navy Seal, author
*[[Christy Mathewson]], professional baseball player
*[[Francis T. McAndrew]], psychologist, professor, and author
*[[Mary McDonnell]], actress
*[[Gerry McNamara]], college basketball player, Syracuse University
*[[Jason Miller (playwright)|Jason Miller]], Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, actor
*[[Mike Munchak]], professional football coach and former professional football player
*[[Jozef Murgaš]], radio pioneer
*[[Amedeo Obici]], founder of the Planters Peanuts Company
*[[John O'Hara]], author
*[[Jim O'Neill (baseball)|Jim O'Neill]], former baseball player
*[[Steve O'Neill]], former baseball player
*[[Jack Palance]], actor
*[[William Daniel Phillips]], Nobel Prize-winning scientist
*[[Joe Pisarcik]], former NFL quarterback
*[[Darryl Ponicsan]], author, screenwriter
*[[Robert Reich]], former U.S. Secretary of Labor
*[[Paul W. Richards]], former astronaut
*[[Conrad Richter]], author
*[[Hugh Ellsworth Rodham|Hugh Rodham]], father of Hillary Rodham Clinton
*[[Tim Ruddy]], former professional football player, [[Miami Dolphins]]
*[[Victor Schertzinger]], composer, film director, film producer and screenwriter
*[[William Scranton]], former Governor of Pennsylvania and 1964 U.S. presidential candidate
*[[William Scranton, III]], former Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
*[[B. F. Skinner]], psychologist, radical behaviorist, Harvard professor, and author
*[[Jimmy Spencer (racing driver)|Jimmy Spencer]], former NASCAR driver and current TV analyst
*[[Bob Sura]], former NBA basketball player
*[[Charley Trippi]], played for Pittston Patriots, NFL Hall of Fame
*[[John Anthony Walker]], spy for the [[Soviet Union]]
*[[Ed Walsh]], former professional baseball player, [[Chicago White Sox]]
*[[Richard Yuengling Jr.]], American billionaire businessman and president and owner of [[Yuengling]] Brewing
*[[Frank Zane]], three-time Mr. Olympia 
{{Div col end}}

==See also==
{{Div col|small=yes}}
*[[Eckley Miners' Village]]
*[[Franklin B. Gowen]]
*[[Major coal producing regions]]
*[[Schuylkill Canal]]
{{Div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Carbon County, Pennsylvania}}
{{commons category|Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania}}
{{commons category|Luzerne County, Pennsylvania}}
{{commons category|Northumberland County, Pennsylvania}}
{{commons category|Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania}}
{{wikivoyage|Coal Region}}
*[http://www.tccweb.org/pennsylvania.htm Coal Mine Region - The Carpathian Connection]
*[http://www.northernfield.info Pennsylvania's Northern Coal Field]
*[http://www.coalregion.com A collection of nostalgia and regionalisms from the Anthracite Coal Region of Pennsylvania]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20021211230313/http://www.pacoalhistory.com/history/anthracite_region.html The Anthracite Coal region]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050116090352/http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/enved/go_with_inspector/coalmine/Anthracite_Coal_Mining.htm Map of the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160123061246/http://www.msha.gov/district/dist_01/history/history.htm History of anthracite coal mining]
*[http://www.undergroundminers.com Abandoned Anthracite Mines in PA]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070622031823/http://www.lehigh.edu/~ineng/paw/paw-history.htm  Brief history of the Molly Maguires]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050120091305/http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/ppet/eckley/page1.asp?secid=31 "A Jewel In the Crown of Old King Coal Eckley Miners' Village" by Tony Wesolowsky, ''Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine'', Volume XXII, Number 1 - Winter 1996]
*[http://www.eckleyminers.org  A website with extensive detail on and a virtual tour of Eckley]

{{Pennsylvania|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Anthracite Coal Region of Pennsylvania| ]]
[[Category:Carbon County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Coal mining regions in the United States]]
[[Category:Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Luzerne County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Coal mining in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Northeastern Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Northumberland County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Regions of Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania]]