"Big Mine Run Colliery (West)"

Big Mine Run Colliery was located north of Ashland Borough on the west side of the Big Mine Run Creek.

The Colliery was originally opened by two drifts driven east and west on the south dip mammoth vein by Gideon Bast, Pearson and Company in 1853.

The first shipment of 819 tons of coal was made in 1854.

In 1858, the eastside drift workings were sold to Emanuel Bast, a son of Gideon Bast, who operated it as a seperate colliery. Bast, Pearson & Company continued mining the west drift and sank a slope 525 ft. on the same vein as the drift. They drove the water level drift 4800 ft. to the anticlinal separating the Big Mine Run and Locust Run Colliery workings.

In 1868, Gideon Bast retired from the firm and the colliery was sold to Jeremiah Taylor, Lindsey and Company who continued operating the colliery, that consisted of the slope and four water level drifts opened at different levels on the buck mountain vein and worked the drift levels extensively.

In 1873, the No. 2 drift had been driven 3600 ft., the No.3 drift 3150 ft. and the No.4 drift 2400 ft. and about in 1875 the fourth level plane gangway was driven into the Hazeldale Colliery workings.

Taylor, Lindsey & Company continued operating the colliery to 1890 when upon the death of Jeremiah Taylor, it was operated by his estate for a short time and in 1891 all mining was suspended.

In 1894, Reilly, Lilley and Lentz leased the colliery and operated it to 1896 when the Lehigh Valley Coal Company came into possession and operated the colliery to 1899 when they consolidated it with the Centralia Colliery.

The total shipments from Big Mine Run Colliery to 1899 were 3,319,989 tons. After this year the shipments were included with Centralia Colliery.