Coal

The first organized effort to mine anthracite coal was in 1793 on the Mammoth bed at Summit Hill, near Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, but regular shipments did not begin until 1820. It was not until 1825 that it was in general use for the generation of steam, and not until 1839 that it was employed as an exclusive fuel in the manufacture of pig iron. The industry in bituminous coal and coke was begun in Connellsville, Pa., in 1841, by McCormick and Campbell. Regular manufacture commenced in that district in 1861. The coal-mining industry is now more or le prosperous in a very large number of the States and Territories, though Pennsylvania still holds the lead, and the total annual output is nearly 40,000,000 tons.