Furnace

The St. Charles Furnace, originally (Cocheco) built in 1844, was one of the largest stacks in the county. It was 10 feet across the bosh, 33 feet in height; situated on Leatherwood Creek, about 2 miles from the Low Grade Railroad. The property, adjacent to Donald G. Phillips, is now owned by Reid and Howley of Pittsburgh. It was built by John and Samuel Wilson. Andrew Reed, a son of James and Jane (Blair) Reed, broke the first sod for the furnace. It was purchased in the spring of 1846 by J. and P. Kerr of Clarion; leased in 1861 to Michael McCue, who operated it until 1865 when it was dismantled.

Hot blast was introduced in 1857. It is the only furnace that employed raw coal. Though essentially a charcoal stack, this furnace was run for one year on coke, made from the Freeport lower coal and for nearly a year on raw coal from the Freeport upper bed, which in this vicinity is a "block" character.

In 1845, it produced 1,000 tons; in 1850 it produced 2,000 tons.

All that remains today is a, crumbling pile of stones, and many passersby never notice it as they travel along the Rockville Road, Route 854.

Coal

Coal has been the biggest factor in our mineral resources. Star and Long Run Mines, both drifts, were situated on Long Run and are near each other. They were operated by Northwestern Coal and Mining Company. The first opening of the Star was made in 1882. In 1885, these mines which employed 172 men and 10 mules, operated 232 days a year, producing 109,828 tons of coal and shipping 74, 545 tons of lump coal. At peak production, 400 men were employed. Both collieries were ventilated by furnaces.

S. T. Shaeffer served as superintendent and John Friel as head foreman. Frank Beck, John Freeman and Adam Nichols were killed in mining accidents.

Gordon McNutt, father of William McNutt of R.D. 2, New Bethlehem, cut and supplied the posts that were used in the mines. Nine feet of coal was taken out, while three feet had to be left for a roof.

Thriving settlements sprang up, only to die or fade as the mineral deposits were exhausted. Not a remnant remains of the little town of Starburg, which was located along Route 839 between the Samuel Fowkes and William Musser properties. The town was built and owned by the Northwestern Coal and Mining Company. It had a company store, a church and schoolhouse. The population was around 200.

The late W. J. (Kelly) Kerr of Cottage Hill, was a resident of Starburg. He started his mining career at the age of 12. He drove the mules and received 25 cents for a 10-hour day. Miners received about 35 to 40 cents a ton for machine dug coal and 80 cents a ton for pick dug coal. They were doing well if they earned $30.00 a week. Mr. Kerr, father of 10 children, died in 1968 at the age of 88 years.

All the water for the town was obtained from the "watering trough" located near the sharp curve in the road near the Musser property. This was a popular meeting place. Many arguments were settled her (even if a few fistfights were sometimes used).  People traveling Route 839, to and from New Bethlehem, stopped here to water their horses. On a few occasions they were held up or robbed when they stopped.

The town ceased to exist in the early 1930's and became a major industry during the World War II period. It continues today as a very active and important industry.  Millions of dollars worth of coal have been taken from the ground in our township.

Iron Ore

Iron ore was mined in several areas in the township including the following:  In the 1880's the hills of the David Hoover Farm, which joins what is now known as the Paul Mohney Farm, had many ledge mines. The miners traveled from quite a distance, and so they would "shanty" there for at least a week. These mines were closed out around 1892.

A lot of iron ore was taken from the farm at Smithland where William Barlett lived, and also the adjoining farm. This ore was sold and shipped by railroad. Mining was also done on the Walter Willison Farm, now owned by John Pyne.

Natural Gas

Natural Gas has been an important asset to this area. It not only has provided fuel for industry, but it has been used for heating many homes for many years. When the land was leased the gas company agreed to pay a royalty of approximately $100.00 per year for each well drilled, plus free gas necessary for one dwelling. Many homes are supplied with gas under these terms yet today.