ASHLEY — Anthracite Mining History Month arrived in the Wyoming Valley on Friday night through a public program hosted by the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR) and Earth Conservancy. The program featured expansive lessons on a number of topics related to Northeast Pennsylvania’s well-documented past and future in anthracite coal mining.
The January 2025 celebration of Anthracite Mining History Month has been localized, with Eckley Miners Village hosting a public program on Thursday, Jan. 9. More events will come to the area within days of Friday’s event. The Greater Pittston Historical Society will host a public program of its own on Sunday, Jan. 12, at St. Joseph Morello Hall. Then, on Jan. 15, the Wilkes-Barré Preservation Society’s Tony Brooks will guide a tour of the Luzerne County Court House. A full schedule of events is available on Earth Conservancy’s Facebook page.
On Friday night, the comprehensive lectures at the Earth Conservancy facility included profiles of local Carnegie Hero Medal awardees, as well as a deep dive into former U.S. Rep. Daniel J. Flood’s impact on Ashley’s mining industry.
Peppered throughout the evening were direct references to the former Huber Breaker, which may soon be responsible for an uptick in public attention. Plans are being developed to turn the No. 5 slope into an attraction that would allow visitors to look down a gate and into the slope itself.