The Coaldale No 8 Colliery was opened in 1845 near the town of Coaldale. It was operated by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, and was served mainly from the 1227′ deep No 7 Shaft with 8 different levels. Also prominent were the No 8 shaft and No 8 water level tunnel. In 1922, a new “million dollar” breaker was built after the old was destroyed by fire; becoming the showpiece of the company. It was capable of processing 7,800 tons of coal each day. In the early 1930s, a visitor center opened and they offered public tours, welcoming thousands of visitors to see the operation. The colliery closed in 1954. Present day, most of the mine has been stripped through. Remaining are the original entrance to the No 8 Tunnel, wash house, and dynamite bunker and bus shelter. They can be seen from the Coaldale Miner’s Memorial Park, as well as some original anthracite equipment.
Historic photos of the Coaldale from the Eric Bella collection.
Our photos from the early 2000s, after doing maintenance at the No 9, we were offered a tour of the No 8 water level workings by an employee of Lehigh Anthracite. None of this mine exists today, as it was stripped through.
Sources:
Coaldale Miner’s Memorial Park, Historical Marker