By Mark Gilger, Jr.

August 15, 2017 - A 35-foot-tall piece of local coal-mining history was dedicated Monday as the newest addition to the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train.

Local, state and county officials were joined by representatives from the state Department of Environmental Protection to cut a red ribbon in front of the giant headframe that once stood at Bowman’s shaft at the nearby North Mahanoy Colliery where hundreds of local workers used it to enter the mining operation from 1858 to 1931.

“We are trying to preserve history and this is a big part of that,” Ed Wytovich, a member of the board of directors for Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train, said. “This is one of the last headframes in existence in the entire Anthracite region. There were probably several hundred at one time and there may only be about two others that exist anywhere besides this one. It is also an education opportunity for the schools that bring kids here. We can show them how coal was hoisted out of the mines and how the miners went to work.”

Pagnotti Enterprises donated the machinery to the museum in 2015 as DEP’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation completed a project costing about $160,000 that included salvaging the headframe; backfilling a 165-foot-deep mine shaft near several homes; and removing an old pump house, a deteriorated reinforced concrete electrical house and various concrete foundations. The site was regraded and revegetated.

The DEP then awarded funding through the 2016 Abandoned Mine Land Pilot Program to Pioneer Tunnel to refurbish and erect the headframe at the tourism site. The entire project was about $200,000, which will also include lighting and fencing near the base of the headframe.

“This project enhances the educational experience at Pioneer Tunnel and adds an asset to the local tourism economy, while providing a lasting reminder of the integral role anthracite mining plays in northeast Pennsylvania,” John Stefanko, DEP Deputy Secretary for Active and Abandoned Mine Operations, said.

Stefanko said that as the grandson of a coal miner, this project was personal as it provides another opportunity for people to learn about Pennsylvania’s mining history.

“All of us at DEP are proud of what has been accomplished here and proud to be part of this event today,” he said.

Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train, 19th and Oak streets, Ashland, will host the 25th annual Pioneer Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The event will be a celebration of Pioneer Tunnel’s 55th anniversary as a tourist attraction.

In addition to coal mine tours and steam train rides, there will be entertainment provided by the Breaker Boys and music by MAK as well as food, craft and games vendors.

A ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony was held for the headframe at Pioneer Tunnel in Ashland on Monday, August 14, 2017.