Coal made Schuylkill County important, but transportation made the coal valuable.
The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad was founded in the 1830s and built a main line from the Pottsville coal region through Reading toward Philadelphia.
Coal was the reason
The Reading Company Technical & Historical Society notes that the railroad’s original purpose was to haul anthracite from the coal fields to Philadelphia.
The railroad reshaped towns
Tracks, yards, stations and sidings connected mines to markets and turned small settlements into industrial communities.
Coal and rail became one system
The Reading eventually expanded deeply into the coal business itself and became one of the dominant industrial companies associated with the anthracite region.
Why the history still matters
Old rail grades, bridges and stations are still scattered throughout the county. Some former transportation corridors now serve trails and recreation, giving old infrastructure a new life.
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