The
colliery in the early period of mining was operated as two individual collieries.The Chamberlain Collieries were located a short distance north of Port Carbon on the west side of Mill Creek.
The
colliery in the early period of mining was operated as two individual collieries.
The first opening was called the "Lewis and Bainbridge" and the second was called the "Lawton".
These two collieries worked seperate veins. The Bainbridge worked the Lewis (Peach Mountain) vein and the Lawton worked the Tracy vein 400 ft. north of the Lewis vein.
In later years the two collieries operated as one management.
The first opening was made in 1826 when the Young brothers started mining but were not very successful and worked the mine to about 1828. The first shipment of 82 tons was made in 1826.
In 1829, Blight Wallace and Company leased the land from the Young brothers and began mining the Lewis vein. In 1834, they began sinking a slope but failed in 1835. They were succeeded by William Bosbyshell, who continued operating the slope to 1841 when he assigned his lease to Wallace and Rohermel, who mined until 1848.
In 1848, Thomas Haven came in possession of the mine and took in John C. Hewes as a partner.
They sunk the slope to lower levels and operated the colliery to 1854 when they were sold out by the sheriff.
In 1854, the Mill Creek Coal Company purchased the colliery and operated it to 1860 when it was practically abandoned.
In 1861, E.W. Mcginnis leased the colliery from the Mill Creek Coal Co. but the slope workings were in need of such extensive repairs that in 1862 he assigned his lease to a Mr. Eshelman but, due to the poor condition of the mine, he also surrendered his lease in 1863.
At this point in time the Mill Creek Coal Co. made repairs to the slope and leased the colliery to Pottsville Mining and Manufacturing Company who operated it for a short time and finally abandoned the mine in 1867.
The shipments to 1862 were 248,397 tons.
In 1888, Thomas Hyatt and Company re-opened the slope and made extensive repairs. They operated the Bainbridge in connection with the Lawton slope to 1892. When succeeded by the Chamberlain Coal Company who extended the slope another level and operated to 1895.
They were succeeded by the Marion Coal Company (Dr. Rice and Co.) who operated the colliery under such poor condition that an injunction was issued against any further mining by the state mine inspector until the colliery was put in safe condition to work.
In 1900 the colliery was abandoned.
The slope at this time had 5 levels and was 1000 ft. in length and the first level was driven westward into the ball slope workings on the East Norwegian Creek.
The Lawton Colliery slope was located 400 ft. north of the Bainbride Colliery north of Port Carbon.
The colliery was opened by a drift driven west on the Suth Dip Tracy vein by Alfred Lawton and Thomas Haven in 1832. The first shipment of 1,104 tons was made the same year.
They operated the mine to 1843 and were succeeded by Archabald Ronaldson who leased the colliery and sunk the slope to the first level. He operated the slope to 1848 when he failed and was succeeded by Bainbridge and Byer who were assigned the lease and extended the slope to the second level in 1853. They continued mining to 1854 when they were sold out by the sheriff.
In 1854, Wallace and Rothermel purchased the colliery at the sheriff sale and mined to 1858.
In 1858, the Mill Creek Coal Company operated both collieries. The Bainbridge to 1860 and the Lawton to 1862.
In 1862, Mr. Eshelman operated both collieries but surrendered his lease on the Bainbridge Colliery because of its poor condition but continued operating the Lawton Colliery until 1864. He was succeeded by the Pottsville Mining and Manufacturing Company who made extensive repairs and operated it to 1867 when it was abandoned.
In 1886, Thomas Hyatt and Company re-opened both colliery slopes and operated to 1892 when succeeded by the Chamberlain Coal Company who operated the collieries to 1895.
In 1895, the Marion Coal Company came in possession and extended the Tracy slope to the bottom, a total length from the surface of 2,350 ft. They continued mining to 1900 when the colliery was abandoned and allowed to fill with water.
The total shipments from the Lawton Colliery were 436,203 tons. The total shipments from the combined Bainbridge and Lawton collieries was 792,278 tons.