The Bear Valley Colliery was located in Northumberland County three and a half miles southwest of Shamokin Borough.
The
colliery was opened by a water level tunnel driven south 1200 ft. to the north
dip twin veins of the mammoth by the Shamokin and Bear Valley Coal Company in
1863. The first shipment of 6,352 tons of coal was made in 1864 when the lessees,
Booth, Loeb and Foltz, failed due to no money and a disagreement of partners.
It was then operated by the Shamokin and Bear Valley Coal Co. until 1870.
In 1870, Heim, Goodwill and Company leased the colliery and operated it to 1873 when the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company (P&R C&I Co.) purchased the bear valley lands. They started to sink the No.1 shaft, 12x22 ft. with 4 compartments under the supervision of General Henry Pleasants, Chief Engineer for the company. It was completed to a depth of 319 ft. to the rough vein in 1874.
From the shaft a tunnel was driven 135 ft. south to the north dip of the mammoth vein, intersecting the holmes vein at 81 ft. with gangways driven east and west. After being fully developed the colliery was leased to Heim and Goodwill who operated the tunnel colliery in connection with the shaft until 1878 when they suspended operations.
During the same year the P&R C&I Co. began operating the two collieries as one unit. They continued to develop the colliery until Jan. 1883 when a fire was discovered in the west mammoth shaft level that suspended all work. The colliery was flooded and pumped to resume work Sept. 4, 1883.
On Sept. 22, 1884 another fire developed in the man way and the colliery was forced to shut down until Jan. 12, 1885.
In 1906, the No.2 shaft was sunk 1002 ft. to the buck mountain vein and in 1907 two tunnels were driven .
In 1909, a single track slope was sunk on the No.5 vein from the east water level gangway.
On Feb. 5, 1910, another fire was discovered west of the shaft and the mammoth vein workings were closed until August 1912.
In 1911, the company built a railroad track 7900 ft. in length to a new rock slope in the north dip veins.
In 1913, electric haulage was installed in the No.1 shaft and in 1917 a a single track slope was sunk 920 ft. on the buck mountain vein.
All mining ceased June 19, 1939.
The total shipments from Bear Valley were 10.318.980 tons as of 1928.