King’s College and the Anthracite Heritage Foundation are helping to coordinate the regional observance of Mining History Month in January with programs in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Pittston, Port Griffith, Plymouth, Nanticoke, Ashley, Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre Township. 

The annual event seeks to remember and honor the area’s anthracite mine workers, their families and communities.

The programs are sponsored by the Anthracite Heritage Museum, Anthracite Heritage Foundation, King’s College, Wilkes University, Lackawanna Historical Society, Barnes & Noble, Luzerne County Historical Society, Luzerne County Community College, Greater Pittston Historical Society, Plymouth Historical Society, Nanticoke Historical Society, Huber Breaker Preservation Society, Anthracite Living History Group, Penn Anthracite Section Society for Mining Engineers and Knox Mine Disaster Memorial Committee.

All events except the first are open to the public and most are free of charge, except as noted.

Mining History Month Events

— January 9: 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Boy Scouts of America: “Mining in Society” Merit Badge Day, Open to Boy Scouts of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Council, King's College

— January 14: Society for Mining Engineers Penn Anthracite Section Dinner Meeting, Top of the 80's, Sugarloaf, joint meeting with the Anthracite Chapter of the Professional Society of Professional Engineers, Open to Public.  5:30 PM Social Hour, 6:30 PM Dinner $35 at the door; checks to SME Penn Anthracite Section.  briantraweek@gmail.com Mike Korb will be speaking  about Reclamation, Revegetation, and Monarch Butterfly Habitat.

— January 14: 7-8:30 p.m., Plymouth Historical Society-Public Program: F. Charles Petrillo, “The Susquehanna Navy: The River Coal Dredging Industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Community Room of Dan Flood Apartments (150 E. Main St., Plymouth), refreshments served

— January 15: 6-7:30 p.m., Lackawanna Historical Society-Public Program: James Guthrie, “Dealers and Jobbers: Advertising Anthracite to the Intermediate Market,” Catlin House (232 Monroe Ave., Scranton), refreshments served

— January 16: 7-8:30 p.m., Greater Pittston Historical Society-Public Program: Craig Robertson, “The Butler Mine Tunnel from the Inside: Examining the Wyoming Valley’s Worst Toxic Disaster,” Pittston Memorial Library (47 Broad St., Pittston), refreshments served

— January 17: 10 a.m., Knox Mine Disaster Memorial Service, St. John the Evangelist Church (35 William St., Pittston)

— January 17: 11:30 a.m., Knox Mine Disaster Public Commemoration, PHMC Historical Marker in front of Baloga Funeral Home (1201 Main St., Pittston), coffee served courtesy of Baloga Funeral Home

— January 17: 12 noon, Walk to the Knox Disaster Site in Port Griffith, weather permitting; meet at Baloga Funeral Home.

— January 19: 6:30-8 p.m., Huber Breaker Preservation Society-Public Program: John Welsh, “Documentary Film: Beyond the Huber Breaker,” (Earth Conservancy Building, 101 S. Main Street, Ashley), refreshments served

— January 21: 7:30-8:45 p.m., King’s College-Annual Msgr. John J. Curran Lecture: Sue Hand, “The Anthracite Miners and Their Hollowed Ground,” Room 162, King’s on the Square Building, refreshments begin at 6:45 pm in the lobby

— January 22: 7-8:30 p.m., Nanticoke Historical Society-Public Program: William Hastie and Robert Wolensky, “Anthracite’s Labor Wars and the Knox Mine Disaster;” and David Brocca, “The Knox Mine Disaster Documentary Film,”  Nanticoke Cultural Center, (38 West Church St., formerly St. Stan’s Church), refreshments served

— January 23: 2-3:30 p.m., Anthracite Heritage Museum: Annual Knox Mine Disaster Remembrance Program, (22 Bald Mt. Road, Scranton), David Brocca, Los Angeles, CA—“Documentary Tribute to Myron Thomas and the Knox Mine Disaster;” Myron Thomas Oral History Reading, comments by members of the Thomas family, Chester Kulesa and others; refreshments served

— January 24: 2-4 p.m., Barnes & Noble Bookstore (Wilkes-Barre Township): Meet the Authors, Local authors will speak briefly about their books and sign copies.  Authors include Lucia Dailey, Mark Dziak, Stephanie Longo, John Stuart Richards, Sheldon Spear, Robert Wolensky, and Chester Zaremba

— January 27: 6-8 p.m., Wilkes University: Panel Discussion—The Industrial History of the Wyoming Valley: A Global Perspective, Moderator: Diane Wenger (Wilkes U.); Panelists: John Hepp (Wilkes U., “Railroads”); Jonathan Kuiken (Wilkes U., “Anthracite Coal”); Robert Schmidt (Independent Scholar, “Economy”); Robert Wolensky (King’s College, “Garments”); The Ballroom, Henry Student Center (84 W. South Street, Wilkes-Barre)

— January 31: 5-7:00 p.m., The Anthracite Café (804 Scott St., Wilkes-Barre): Special Benefit Dinner for The Knox Mine Disaster documentary directed by David Brocca of Los Angeles, CA; Chef/owner Mike Prushinski will serve an authentic Coal Miner’s Dinner; excerpt from the Knox documentary will be shown; tickets for the evening are $20, available at the Café or at 570-822-4677.

For more information on programs and special events, visit the Anthracite Heritage Foundation website.

1/4/2016