In 1962 a mine fire began under Centralia, PA. Today the town is gone.
Many books have been written entirely on the history of Centralia, Pennsylvania and its tragic mine fire. Still others focus on one particular aspect of the Centralia story. A recently finished book falling into...
There’s a longstanding conspiracy theory surrounding the mine fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania. And, why shouldn’t there be? It’s difficult to comprehend any logic that would explain why a government would let a town be...
During the 20th century, it seemed like coal was dying a slow death. With the introduction of fuel oil and natural gas, the demand for coal dropped. As a result coal mines closed and...
What gives a town its value and makes it worth saving? Is it the people who live there? Maybe it’s their memories and the town’s history? Perhaps it’s the value of the property and...
Centralia, Pennsylvania was founded because of the discovery of anthracite coal in the area during the mid-1800s. Mining was of critical importance to the growth of the borough and the surrounding towns. If you...
The past week, we’ve written quite a bit about recent efforts to cleanup Centralia PA. Some readers have wondered, “Why is the town worth spending time and money to cleanup?” At first glance, such...
For Centralia, Pennsylvania, coal was both its fortune and its downfall. There are actually two types of coal in Pennsylvania – anthracite and bituminous. Anthracite is the type of coal which is located in...
Centralia PA Early History Before the town of Centralia, PA existed, there was a vast expanse of mountain wilderness inhabited by tribes of Native Americans. That changed in 1749 when the Native Americans living...
Every town has a story. In that sense Centralia, Pennsylvania is like any other town. People lived there and raised families. They attended the local churches and went to nearby schools. Each of them...
