Formed out of the consolidation of Hazleton No.’s 2, 3, and 5 Collieries by the Lehigh Valley Coal Company in 1896, Hazleton Shaft was the largest colliery in the Lehigh coal field and Hazleton’s single largest employer. Nicknamed the “No. 40”, the Colliery featured the largest breaker in the Lehigh region at the time of its construction, an all-new underground pumping plant as large as the Hudsondale Station, and a 4 ½ compartment coal hoisting shaft that connected to a new network of subterranean haulage ways containing more than 135 miles of track which linked all six former Hazleton collieries together as one. Initially only being driven down to the second level, the Shaft would undergo three extensions in later years which would eventually connect to the fifth level at a depth of 847 feet. Shortly after its construction, the Colliery expanded, acquiring the adjoining Stockton Mine of East Sugar Loaf Coal Company in 1903 followed by the Coxe-Stockton mine lease in 1905, before finally merging underground operations with Hazle Mines Colliery in 1933. In 1931, retail coal was opened at Hazleton Shaft. In 1934, the Jeddo Tunnel Company made a connection with Hazleton Shaft thus improving drainage above the third level. In 1942, a new steel breaker was erected to replace the aging wooden breaker which doubled the output to a record of 5,900 tons per day, by which time, the Colliery had grown to employ over 1,700 workers while maintaining one of the best safety records in the anthracite region.
All mining at Hazleton Shaft was brought to an abrupt halt on August 18, 1955, when Hurricane Diane dumped 11.1 inches of rain on the city within 23 hours- the highest rainfall ever recorded in 55 years. Failure to prevent the rising water from entering the mine’s underground pump room led to the immediate flooding of the fourth and fifth levels which were actively being worked prior to the flood, forcing the mine to be idled. With a rehabilitation timeframe estimated between 13 and 19 months at an associated cost estimated between $750,000 – $1 million ($8 – $10.9 million in 2022), management deemed it too costly to save the mine. Although numerous attempts were made by officials from the Coal Company and the United Mine Workers of America to obtain financial aid to reopen the mine and restore employment to some 1,000 workers, which represented an annual income of nearly $3.5 million for the community ($38 million in 2022), none were successful. Hazleton Shaft’s closure would become the greatest economic loss in Hazleton’s history and lead directly to the formation of CAN DO to restore the city’s mass unemployment. The Hazleton Shaft breaker would continue processing coal from nearby strippings until April 1982 under the later ownership of Pagnotti Enterprises before being demolished in 1998.
For more in-depth information on Hazleton Shaft and the formation of the Hazleton coal industry, check out the full historical narrative thanks to Justin Emershaw here!
Historic photos of the colliery, from the collection of Eric Bella, one photo by Paul Templeton, and the rest unknown photographers from the UGM archive.
Elevations of the Shaft.
Photos from the shaft in 2021, showing the inoperative deep well pumps installed on the shaft cap.
