The North Mahanoy Colliery was located north of Mahanoy City Borough adjacent ot the Mahanoy City Colliery. It was opened by a drift driven west on the south dip seven foot vein by James and Edward Sillyman in 1858 and the first shipment of 540 tons was made in 1860. During the early period, the mining consisted of working five drifts, all of which were on the mammoth vein and all driven westward.
In 1869, they sunk the first slope 315 ft. on the south dip seven foot vein and continued operating until 1870, when a disasterous fire occured, destroying the breaker and other colliery buildings causing a loss of $60,000 which resulted in the sale of the colliery to Rommel, Hill & Harris, who erected a new breaker and sank a new slope 266 ft. on the top split vein.
Rommel, Hill & Harris operated the colliery to 1873 when it was purchased by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Co. who made extensive improve- ments and sunk a second slope on the top split mammoth vein.
In 1885, an air shaft was sunk 65 ft. to the bottom split mammoth vein gangways.
In 1897, the Schuylkill Colliery was abandoned and it was merged with the North Mahanoy Colliery. The coal for both was then prepared in a new remodeled and enlarged breaker. The connection between the two collieries was made from the north mahanoy seven foot slope gangway to the third and fourth levels of the schuylkill buck mountain vein by a tunnel.
In 1897, the Springdale Colliery of Lentz, Lilly & Co. was abondoned and allowed to fill with water. This colliery in early mining operations connected with the Schuylkill Colliery workings. The P&R C&I Co. decided not to allow the water to rise more than 20 ft. in the springdale shaft as a protection to their own colliery. The springdale shaft was reopened in 1914.
In 1910, an electric haulage system was installed in the schuylkill section of the colliery.
All mining ceased on Jan.7, 1931 and allowed to fill with water. The breaker and boiler house were removed in 1935.
The total shipments from the North Mahanoy Colliery as of 1928 was 17,148,258 tons.