You boys have fairly deep roots in the Wyoming Valley. On my side of the family, it goes back about 75 years to the late 1940's when your great grandparents Burke and Phyllis Rivers arrived after serving churches in New Haven CT and Johnson City NY to establish their ministry at St. Stephen's in Wilkes-Barre. They were quite involved in the community and social life of Wilkes-Barre. On the Carroll side, it goes back at least 125 years to the late 1800's. I'm aware of the Warner family living in the Belin section of Moosic and working in the Dupont Company gunpowder plant. There were several horrific accidents there, involving explosions. I believe it was one of your great grandfathers who died in an explosion at a powder plant while working as night watchman. Your great grandfather Donald Warner worked for some years at a coal mine that I understood from your Dad was in Jenkins Township, across the Susquehanna River. He ran a furnace (which may have supported mine ventilation). Grandma told me she used to take him his lunch; Dad told me that his grandfather liked his house on Breese Street kept hot (such that everyone else tended to sweat inside) since he had gotten accustomed to higher temperatures at this job.
Today we drove down to Plymouth, and walked from a marker in Plymouth Township along Rt. 11 to the site if the Avondale Mine Disaster in 1869. This mine was owned by the Nanticoke Coal Company. Today, the site is maintained by the Plymouth Historical Society, which has posted helpful signs including photos. I just discovered there is a Wikipedia site about this disaster --> Avondale Mine. This terrible event killed 110 men and boys by suffucation (including a father and 3 adult sons, and 2 rescuers). The majority were Welsh, since many of the earliest miners came from Wales. The event bolstered the fledgling American labor movement and resulted in improvements to mine regulations, including that mines had to have a minimum of 2 shafts. And we certainly know quite a lot about the Knox Mine Distaster in 1959, which occurred literally across the river from us in Jenkins Twp/Pittston, and effectively ended deep mining (which was already in decline) in the Wyoming Valley. Your Grandpa reported on the Knox Mine Disaster early in his career - I believe this was on the radio, prior to his television career. This catastrophe was caused by illegal practices and killed 12 men; there are still annual commemorations in Pittston.
Below is one of the Avondale images I found on-line, along with a photo from the 150th anniversary commemoration held in 2019. Communities do not forget their tragic losses.
It is incredibly sad, and I'm glad we took the time to visit the Avondale Mine site and its ruins. We saw toads, a bunny and unfortunately many "baby" spotted lantern flies. Mosquitos were beginning to take an interest in us as we headed back to the car. Then we had dinner at Uncle Buck's in Plymouth. Rob, you are almost but not quite 21 years old. Alex, you are almost but not quite the owner of your own house on North St in West Pittston.
I love the mountains and the Susquehanna River in the beautiful valley we call home. Often I think about native Americans who lived here for thousands of years, the places they lived and paths they walked (such as Wyoming Ave itself). I have also thought about early European settlers, their forts and later farms. I find it fascinating to see the remaining evidence, all around us, related to coal mining history - which brought much development and led to Northeast PA making significant contributions to the industrial revolution. In my early years living here in the mid-late 1980's, I saw and spoke with older men who were sick suffering from black lung - a debilitating and absolutely terrible illness. And after today, I have a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices that so many made in the coal mining industry as men worked to support their loved ones.
It turns out there's a song about the Avondale Mine Disaster, written by George Korson - who was interested in folklore and music of Pennsylvania coal miners, and had ties to the United Mine Workers of America. Here is a performance of it by Jay Smar, a folk musician from a miner family (some background about him here --> Jay Smar). And you might also want to read the melancholy song lyrics, which you can link to here --> Avondale Mile Disaster Song.
