
Figure 9.—EARLY ANTHRACITE IRON-FURNACE at Catasauqua. (Pop. Scr. Monthly, 1891, vol. 38, no. 4, p. 451.) 
other mines under development, by Beaver Meadows, 
Hazleton, Sugar Loaf, and Buck Mountain Coal Com- 
panies. (See description of companies, pp. 110-114.) 
The coal trade was the main source of revenue for the 
company. Competition from the railroad did not begin 
until 1855.4° 
Also showing an increase in this period were two 
classes of traffic; lumber and materials involved in the 
manufacture of iron. Iron ore and limestone was car- 
ried up the canal to the blast furnaces and later came 
back down in the form of pig iron. Lumber shipments 
continued to grow until 1850 and then began to 
decrease. 
The general trade classification, including flour, 
whiskey, grain, bricks, etc., never became a major 
source of revenue. When railroad connections became 
available, this traffic disappeared more rapidly from 
the navigation than did the heavier class of traffic. 
“The Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Rail- 
road (changed to the Lehigh Valley Railroad in January 
1853) was incorporated on April 23, 1846. 
PAPER 72: ANTHRACITE IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY 
Lehigh Company Coal Properties 
The coal lands belonging to the company totaled 
approximately 8,000 acres and comprised the entire 
eastern end of the southern anthracite field. These 
lands begin on the east, on the top of Broad Mountain 
(Mount Pisgah) a half mile from the Lehigh River 
near Mauch Chunk, and extend 14 miles to Tamaqua 
on the Little Schuylkill River. On the northern side 
of this coal basin, nine coal beds ranging from 5 to 28 
feet in thickness are found, and in some places extend 
up to 111 feet. On the southern side of the basin four 
major seams of coal are found measuring 9, 15, 20, and 
50 feet, for a total thickness of 94 feet.°° 
At the great mine at Mauch Chunk (Sharp) Moun- 
tain the seams were located near the surface, and 
mining operations were greatly simplified during the 
early days. The working force primarily consisted of 
hand laborers, and open-pit quarry-type operations 
° Lehigh History, op. cit., p. 23 
103 
