10/15/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19m5FFQNJa/
In October of 1894, one of the largest producers of Anthracite, the Lehigh Valley Coal Company, entered into a purchase agreement with the Hazleton Coal Company for all 6 of its Collieries, which included Hazleton No.1, locally known as "Hazle Mines." Last evening, 132 years later to the day, the Hazleton City Council overwhelmingly approved to acquire back the site of the former Hazle Mines Colliery, located at 702W Broad Street, with the intention to reopen the city's oldest mine into a one-of-kind tourist attraction celebrating the city's rich heritage. "It's the one that started it all" said Justin Emershaw of the Underground Miners who gave a detailed presentation on the proposed project. "It was the first mine to open in 1837 and where the first wagon load of coal was shipped from, and it was due the mines success that the Coal Company's Board of Directors approved the first sketch outlining the city as we know it today in December 1838." Emershaw is Chief Mining Engineer with American Anthracite, and a 10 year member of the Underground Miners nonprofit organization who most recently rehabilitated the Brooks Mine in Scranton.
The financed $1.3M purchase includes the 2.8 acre parcel, on which the former Ollie's/Kmart building now sits, which is to be demolished to make room for the new attractions centerpiece- a reconstruction of the original Hazle Mines breaker of 1888. "It's going to be 100 feet tall and the first thing you'll see coming into the city off Rt 924" said Hazleton City mayor Jeff Cusat. The breaker will not only serve as a functional piece of the mine tour, housing the main hoist to operate the tour cars, but also house a craft brewery, museum, conference center, and other commercial workspace.
Underground, visitors will experience the magnitude of engineering, labor, and skills that went into constructing a mega sized Colliery operation. A pinnacle highlight of the tour includes a large underground hoist room, designed to pull men and coal cars from the deepest part of the mine, along with an underground equipment repair shop.
The presentation concluded with numerous questions and comments from the local community, who gave major enthusiasm and support of preserving Hazleton's history. "If you guys want to do this, the time is now. There's not many of us young deep miners left" said Banks Ries, Mine Foreman at M&D Coal Company who has been involved with the Underground Miners for 23 years. The city currently has verbal commitments from a number of potential backers and the next steps for the team involve aligning the funding required to begin work.
