The History of. . .
Big Mountain
Coal Township, Pennsylvania
This is a photo of the "Upper Patch" of Big Mountain. The Union Evangelical Church can be seen at the top of the photo on the right side of the road. Located bottom center, is the old Clay school house. The tracks, or "plane" shown at the bottom of the photo were used to carry cars of coal over the mountain. |
Big Mountain is a small village located in the southeast corner of Coal Township. The village was divided into two sections, or as residents referred to it, the “Upper Patch” and the “Lower Patch”. Big Mountain was founded almost 150 years ago when the first possession houses were built for the families of miners. When the mining operations were in full bloom, there were almost 40 families living in Big Mountain. The homes were owned by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal and Iron Company and the rent would come directly out of the miner’s pay. The Upper Patch once had nine double homes located there, as well as the Henry Clay schoolhouse. The schoolhouse doubled as a church for many years until the Union Evangelical Church was erected in 1923.
Around 1930, the Big Mountain mine closed and many residents moved out of the village to seek employment elsewhere. The mining company sold the homes to occupants or other individuals interested in living there. Many homes were left abandoned and, after many years of neglect, became inhabitable.
As of 2005, three families still reside in Big Mountain in the original possession houses. There is one double home located in the Lower Patch and two double homes still remain in the Upper Patch.
Big
Mountain Newspaper Articles taken from Shamokin Citizen.
(Articles reprinted by permission of Mr. George Shroyer)
8 Families Remain in Big Mountain (pdf)
Rev Fryberger is oldest native of Big Mountain (pdf)
22 Big Mtn Men Serve in WWII (pdf)
1930 US Census
