Named by H.D. Rodgers of the First Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, the first reference to the Pittsburgh coal bed was on a 1761 map. In the mid 1700s at Fort Pitt, coal was being mined on Coal Hill, or as it is known now, Mount Washington. The coal was extracted from drift mines in an outcrop about 200 feet above the Monongahela River.
From the outside, Eva K. Bowlby Public Library fits right in with all the other the stately homes on North Richhill Street, built during Greene County’s first gas and oil boom days. Wildcatters and lucky leaseholders of the early 20th century brought their sudden wealth to Waynesburg’s north side and converted pastureland into dream homes. The hillside behind the library was once a turkey farm.
In 1911, the Crucible Coal Company began to develop Greene County’s second largest mine. Located along the Monongahela River, less than two miles south of Rices Landing, the high quality coal from the Pittsburgh seam was to be shipped to Midland to be converted to coke for the company’s new steel mill.
The Tour of Honor is including the Veterans War Memorial in Aleppo Township in this year’s event!
“Commercial” coal mining in Greene County began in 1902 when the Dilworth Coal Company produced 36,400 tons of Pittsburgh coal from its mine at Rices Landing on the Monongahela River. This appears to be the first mine in Greene County that was supervised and regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Mines.
Early coal mining in Greene County began with settlers using drift mining to mine the outcrops of coal along the creeks and the Monongahela River, usually for personal use. Later small mining companies were mining coal.
If you have been on the Greene River Trail recently, you might have noticed something new. Twenty informational signs were placed along the trail highlighting coal mining, the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop, the Monongahela River, and wildlife.
Each week, we will release a new blog highlighting one of the signs you will find along the Greene River Trail. Follow along with us – or head out to the trail and see the signs for yourself!
Now Paul and Amy’s son and daughter-in-law, Adam and Diane Stokes, carry on Harry’s neighborliness with a little bit of everything for sale, at Stokes General Store. It’s this kind of gathering place that every small town needs to stay alive, including gas pumps and a family-run deli.
“Shop Scenic” could well become the catch phrase for Greene County when the holiday season consists of driving country roads to find that perfect gift. Unique shops stuffed with handcrafted items, delicious eats and bottles of wine are waiting for the day-tripper who is willing to imagine that Greene County is a super mall with miles of rural scenery to be enjoyed between shops.
In downtown Waynesburg, the genteel storefronts of High Street never stay empty for long. New shops can be an exciting find as entrepreneurs try their hand at serving up that new something that the public is eager to sample. But it’s the anchor stores of downtown Waynesburg that have been around for decades that have the power to draw back fans every season to shop for the quality goods they are known for.