Scranton, Pa – Coal and Trains

  Scranton is wedged in a long valley of the Appalachian mountain range. The pressure and folding of these mountains created anthracite coal which is harder and cleaner burning than other types of coal. This whole area is honeycombed with underground mines , once the source of great wealth and great misery depending on one’s circumstances. The mine owners owned the railroads  so they controlled not only a very valuable resource but the delivery system too. The miners came from western Europe and later eastern Europe lured by inexpensive steamship fares. Working in the mines was dirty, hard and dangerous. In the worse cases the miner was responsible for supplying all of his tools , dynamite , mule and helpers. He was paid by the weight of the coal that he managed to mine so some days he made nothing and the mine owner didn’t have to shoulder any of the expense. These conditions lead to labor strikes which often turned violent when strikebreakers and police were involved. The mining industry collapsed after WWII when other sources of fuel became more popular.

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Really,Really Rich People’s Gardens

   The late 1800s to the early 1900s is known as the Gilded Age.  Railroads , factories , coal mining and other heavy industries paved the way for individual families to amass huge fortunes of hundreds of millions of dollars. This excess of money was used to build very elaborate houses surrounded by vast estates. The owners traveled the world collecting antiques and treasures to furnish their houses. They brought back exotic plants for the gardens. They planted trees and made paths to ride their horses. As fortunes dwindled , older relatives died or areas become unfashionable, some of the estates were broken up and sold to developers. Others were saved by trusts or donated to organizations who took over the upkeep so now we can enjoy the century old trees and gardens that were originally designed for the enjoyment of these really , really rich people and their really , really rich friends!

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