Our Chronic and Desperate Situation”
Anthracite Communities and the Emergence of Redevelopment Policy in Pennsylvania and the United States, 1945–1965
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9969259 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Gregory Wilson (0000-0003-0547-2544, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2002 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | S10 |
| Pages | 137-158 |
| Publication date | 2002-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Review of Social History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-8590 • E-ISSN: 1469-512X |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0020859002000810 |
| OpenAlex | W1983077373 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 1 |
On 3 May 1954, Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company announced that it would close its anthracite mining operations in Pennsylvania's Panther Valley. Company officials had hoped to keep some mines open but net losses in 1953 amounted to $1.4 million and the trend continued into early 1954. The company stated they would reopen the mines only if miners would work harder and produce more. All area locals of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) voted to accept the program except one, Tamaqua Local 1571. Arguing that the new rules violated existing wage agreements, workers from this Local picketed the mines and called on miners across the anthracite region to join them. Tamaqua miners offered an alternative plan that called for workers to share control over management and production decisions. Lehigh managers refused and closed the mines, effective from 30 June. As other mining companies began to collapse in the 1950s and 1960s, local workers, business owners, union leaders, and politicians made efforts to either open mines or attract new industries. However, unemployment remained a difficult problem for the Panther Valley and for the entire anthracite region and the area still exhibits higher than average unemployment
Anthracite · Business · Coal · Coal mining · Economic growth · Economics · Political science · Redevelopment · Unemployment · Work (physics · American Environmental and Regional History · Engineering · Law · Public Administration
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |