Penn Mary #1 Mine Complex (1905-1928)

Penn Mary Coal Company Identification Tags

The Penn Mary Coal Company (a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania and Maryland Steel Companies) submitted its application for charter on December 13, 1905. Incorporation was approved and entered into the charter books on January 10, 1906. With capital stock valued at $100,000, the newly created company would transact their business from offices located in Philadelphia. Established to mine coal throughout Pennsylvania, the Penn Mary Coal Company purchased John H. Weaver's western Pennsylvania holdings for $1.8 million dollars in March 1906.

Following the purchase, the Penn Mary Coal Company appointed Harry P. Dowler to replace James Starford as General Superintendent. The Indiana Evening Gazette reported that the newly appointed Dowler would receive a "snug salary" of $6,000 a year, plus rent!

With six mines already in operation, a seventh (Mine #5) was soon opened in the Mine #2 Area. Within the next three years, Mines #6, #7, and #8 were also put into operation. The number of employees increased from 365 in 1906 to a peak of 900 by 1911. Production also increased from 192,278 tons in 1906 to a high in 1909 of 888,058 tons! With the increase in employees and tonnage, there were also 20 fatal accidents in the mines between 1906 and 1914.

In 1911, after having attended a “first aid to the injured” demonstration at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Harry Dowler initiated a safety program for the Penn Mary Company mines. Each mine was to have a “safety building” equipped with at least two dreggers (self-contained breathing apparatus), as well as necessary equipment to give aid to injured miners. In addition, several crews of men would be given first aid training to adminster to those injured on the job (this training will be covered in more detail in another section).

The Penn Mary Coal Company also continued with the “building plan” for the town, overseeing the construction of a new school, company offices, the Catholic church, a hospital, a new company store, a new stable/barn; boarding houses, the enlarging of the Heilwood Inn, a town dairy, additional housing for the miners (Pine Street and “The Green”), and additional homes for supervisory personnel. By 1913, the majority of the building of Heilwood was complete (although an additional school and gymnasium would be constructed at a later date.)

In August 1914, the Penn Mary Coal Company was purchased by the Cambria Steel Company of Johnstown (formerly the Cambria Iron Works). All upper management personnel were replaced. H. J. Meehan was named the General Superintendent, while James Eck became the new company store manager and Dr. William Nix the new town physician.

Cambria Steel maintained ownership of the Heilwood complex until 1916, when the Bethlehem Steel Company of Johnstown took over. Following the takeover, a new mining operation was opened in 1917 in the town on Mentcle. This became Mine #11, and continued operation into the late 1950s, when it closed permanently.

In 1919, the Bethlehem Steel/Penn Mary Coal Company purchased the mining operation located in nearby Brownstown from the Patton-based Glenside Coal Company. This became Mine #9 and continued to operate until about 1946.

The Penn Mary Coal Company was officially dissolved as a corporation in July, 1924.

STEEL TIPPLE / LEONARD'S RUN AREA

With the extension of rail lines into the Leonard's Run area, previously proposed mine openings were developed. By July 1905, Mines #2, #3, and #4 were all open, although #3 and #4 were only in the developmental stage. In April 1906, Mine #5 (a “drift mine”) was opened. It was around this time that plans were made for a new steel tipple to service all of the newly opened mines in the area.

In September 1906, the Wilkins Company had drawn up a set of plans for the tipple. Approval was granted and by December, Elmer Haggens of Spruce, Pennsylvania was delivering oak lumber for the construction of the approach ramp to the tipple. The contract to build the steel tipple itself was awarded to the Lucius Engineering Company of Pittsburgh in January 1907. Working sporadically through the winter, construction was complete and the building was ready for machinery to be installed by May 1907. Heyl & Patterson Incorporated of Pittsburgh installed the loading and conveying machinery. By the end of May, the machinery was performing satisfactorily and the tipple was operational.

Steel Tipple, #2 Mine

Original General Offices (1905-1911)

General Office of the Penn Mary Coal Company, circa 1912.

GENERAL MINE OFFICES

The original general offices used by the early Heilwood coal companies were constructed between 1904 and 1905 and located directly below the company store manager’s home (see top photo at left). These two buildings served the coal companies until 1910-11, at which time the Penn Mary Company constructed a new, brick building adjacent to the Company Store (see bottom photo at left).

From outward appearances, the two offices were connected by a small shed - but that shed was actually the company vault, hidden with siding and roofed just like the other buildings.

This vault was approximately 12’ x 14’ x 8’. The walls and the roof were 18" thick, poured with cement and stones. In addition, the sloping roof was reinforced with steel rails. The floor was two feet below ground level and the only opening of the structure was protected with a solid-steel door!

The First National Bank of Barnesboro, Pa. was responsible for having the cash payrolls delivered on the designated bi-weekly paydays.

Penn Mary Coal Co. shipping tag, circa 1920