Photo of the Month

February, 2002

DREDGING FOR COAL IN THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER

Circa 1930s

Around ninety years ago a seasonal industry, dredging for coal, developed along the Susquehanna River from spring to fall. The anthracite collieries in Luzerne County began the practice of using water to clean their coal. The water discharged from this process eventually flowed into the Susquehanna River carrying small particles of coal that settled on the riverbed. Boats like the one in this photograph would dredge the river bottom for removing the coal to be sold for fuel. For more information on this topic read the newspaper article, "40,000 Tons of Coal Dredged in Susquehanna Bar," found on the Historical Essays page.