The Boswell coal mine was opened in 1901 by Merchants Coal Company. By the time the railroad came to town, there was a stockpile of coal already waiting to be shipped. The mines were eventually designated Merchants No. 1, 2, and 3, and Orenda No. 2. An explosion in the Orenda No. 2 mine killed 19 men. After 1918, Davis Coal and Coke Co. operated the Orenda mine, which they closed on March 29, 1939. The tipple was dismantled in 1940.
Another coal mine at Boswell was called Atlantic Coal Co. This mine was located along present-day Route 601 across from Boswell Lumber. All of this information comes from the Boswell Historical Society. The original mines of Boswell have long been closed, but Corsa Coal Corp. continues to mine high-quality metallurgical coal in the Boswell vicinity in the 21st century.
1901 image, Hagley ID, Box/folder number, Merchants Coal Company photographs (Accession 1991.227), Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807
An actual photograph of the very beginning of Boswell showing a crew of workers clearing the wilderness for development.
Jul. 2002 image by author
Some of the coal company housing in Boswell, Pa., is brick because the town's founder, Thomas Boswell, didn't want his coal town to burn down.
Apr. 2009 image by author
A few of the company houses are even made out of cut stone. There are also wood-frame company houses in Boswell.
Apr. 2009 image by author
Three stone structures that remain from Boswell's coal mining days are, from left to right, the superintendent's house, the company store, and the former First National Bank of Boswell. I might add that most coal company towns did not contain their own bank.
Apr. 2009 image by author
A closer look at the company store. As required by Pennsylvania law, Merchants Coal did not operate the store under its own name, but rather as Quemahoning Supply Company.
Apr. 2009 image by author
Unlike other Pennsylvania "coal patch towns," Boswell contains this small private-sector commercial district, although it's not exactly booming anymore.
Apr. 2009 image by author
An omnipresent feature of small towns in Western Pennsylvania is the fire department horn, used to summon volunteer firefighters in times of need.
Apr. 2009 image by author
Saints Peter & Paul Russian Orthodox Church and rectory date back to 1918.
Apr. 2009 image by author
The former Saint Stanislaus Catholic School is another magnificent stone building in Boswell. A church named in honor of Stanislaus is usually found where there was a group of Polish immigrants.
Apr. 2009 image by author
This is the former Saint Stanislaus Catholic Church, now All Saints Catholic Church. As evidenced by the cars parked around it, 10:00 Mass is going on inside on this sunny April morning.
Image courtesy of All Saints Catholic Church
All Saints Church continues the Slavic tradition of the blessing of the Easter baskets.
Apr. 2009 image by author
This building was the powerhouse for the Boswell mine, but is now being used by North Star Equipment.
Apr. 2009 image by author
I ventured across Quemahoning Creek and stumbled into Orenda Park. (Orenda was the actual name of the Boswell coal mine.) This is a public park built around the ruins of the Boswell mine. It is a combination of recreation and preservation. Pictured here are foundations that probably once supported a conveyor or tram.
Apr. 2009 image by author
Walking trails wind between burned coal refuse in Orenda Park.
Apr. 2009 image by author
An undercutting machine is displayed in the park. There are also historical markers, some even with audio, to educate visitors about the mining history of Boswell. Overall, it is a well-executed and effective effort in historical preservation.
Apr. 2009 image by author
Former Boswell coal mine pump house on the banks of Quemahoning Creek.
Jul. 2002 image by author
Sources:
Summers, Patrica, editor. Somerset County, Pennsylvania; An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites. 1994.
Various annual reports of the Pennsylvania Department of Mines found at coalmininghistorypa.org.
