| Hecla Mine No. 1 & Coke Works
(ca.1882-1929), Located along Boyer Run, off of PA SR 2007 and PA SR 2010, 3 miles north of Mt. Pleasant, Hecla (Southwest, P.O.), Mt. Pleasant Twp., Westmoreland Co., PA [Hecla Junction was the junction point of the West Penn Railways System, for Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant and Greensburg.] Owners: (ca.1882-1889) Thaw & Dorsey Coal & Coke Company, Pittsburg, PA (ca.1889-1905) Hecla Coke Company, Pittsburg, PA (ca.1905-1929) H. C. Frick Coke Company, Scottdale, PA Company Store: Union Supply Company, Store # 52 |
| Hecla Mine No. 3 & Coke Works
(ca.1902-1929), Located along Boyer Run, south of Hecla No. 1 Mine, off of PA SR 2007, About 3 miles north of Mt. Pleasant, Hecla (Southwest, P.O.), Mt. Pleasant Twp., Westmoreland Co., PA Owners: (ca.1902-1905) Hecla Coke Company, Pittsburg, PA (ca.1905-1929) H. C. Frick Coke Company, Scottdale, PA Company Store: Union Supply Company, Store # 52 |
| DESCRIPTION: The unincorporated town of Hecla (also known as Southwest), the Post Office is called Southwest, is centered on the hillsides above and west of Boyer Run. Another section of Hecla is north of the town's center, east of Boyer Run, near Hurst Run. This northern section contains both double-houses and single-family houses, about twenty-two in all. The single-family houses are two-story wood-frame buildings with entrances at the gable end. They have single brick chimneys at the gable ridges and rest on rubble stone foundations. The double-houses are also two-story wood-frame buildings with two brick chimneys, gable roofs, and rubble stone foundations. The residential area nearer the town's center includes a section known as Managers Row. This features three L-shaped single-family houses, each with two-and-a-half stories, a gable roof, a brick chimney, and a coursed rubble stone foundation. These dwellings have been altered with porch enclosures, and metal or asphaltic siding over the original clapboard siding. Many of the houses in the coal patch town of Hecla, ca.1994 retain their outhouses and other out-buildings. |
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Hecla School Hecla's center also contains a school building, Hecla Elementary School, a church, and an old post office. The school was built ca.1910 and is a three-story building, measuring 87ft. x 74ft. (Photo courtesy of Kenneth H. Eichner and the Mt. Pleasant Township Bicentennial Committee). |
| Hecla School: The school building has common-bond red-brick walls and a flat roof. The main (east) facade contains a bay at each end with ornate brickwork and tall arched windows circumscribed by terra-cotta trim and topped by decorative urns. (the tall windows at each end of the building provide natural light to the stairways that extend to the third floor.) The ground-floor entrances at each end are also circumscribed by terra-cotta trim and feature multi-light transoms with an arching terra-cotta surround. An inscribed panel at the front of the building reads "Hecla School, Mt. Pleasant Township" and is bracketed by rosettes topped by a cartouche. In 1960 the eighth grade classes were moved to the Norvelt School. During the 1950's the school janitor was Walter Wagner. The building has not been used as a school since 1978. More recently (ca.1994), it has served as a church building. |
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| The back of the Hecla School as it looked ca.1995 went
it was still being kept up. (Photo by Chris Dellamea. Courtesy of Coalcampusa.com) |
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| The Hecla School after it was abandoned and let to fall
into disrepair, ca.2004, (Photo by Ray Washlaski. From the Editor's collection.) |
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| The end of a proud old building in Hecla. (Photo by Ray Washlaski. From the Editor's collection.) |
| Hecla United Methodist
Church: South of the school building is the Community Church of Hecla, ca.1994. The church building had housed the Hecla United Methodist Church for many years, it was built ca.1881. Improvements have been made from time to time over the years, but the building style has remained the same. Rev. J. Milton Shaffer was the minister of Hecla United Methodist Church in 1973. The church building is a tall one-story wood-frame building with clapboard siding, a gable roof, and a coursed rubble foundation. The bell tower extending from the gable ridge near the front of the building has a pyramidal roof; the building continues to serve Hecla as the Community Church of Hecla. |
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United Methodist Church Pioneers ca.1973 |
| Two of the women who were active pioneers
of the United Methodist Church of Hecla, were still active in ca.1973, seated
at the piano where she had played for 65 consecutive years is Mrs. Agnes
Tass Bailey, 89 years of age in 1973. Standing is Mrs. Blanche (Bechtell)
Bungard, Sunday School Superintendent for 50 consecutive years, 75 years
of age in 1973. (Photo courtesy of Kenneth H. Eichner and the Mt. Pleasant Township Bicentennial Committee). |
| Hecla (Southwest, P.O.) Post
Office: The old post office is a small one-story wood-frame building, measuring approximately 10 ft. x 12 ft.; it has been abandoned. The old Post Office building was built by a Mr. Baker, the H.C. Frick Coke Company boss carpenter. William Bailey, was the Postmaster at Helca (Southwest, P.O.) in the old Post Office building from at least ca.1949 till ca.1963. It was not until ca.1963 that this first small post office building was replaced by a new building. When the new Post Office building was built a Mr. Gula became Postmaster. |
| THE COMPANY STORE: The H.C. Frick Coke Company, Union Supply Company Hecla No. 52 Company Store was a two-story wood-frame building, with a large concrete front porch. The Hecla company store was destroyed by a fire in ca.1989. |
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Hecla No. 1 Mine, Union Supply Company Hecla Store No. 52, the H.C. Frick Coke Company Store in Hecla, ca. July, 1935. Part of Hecla No. 1 coke works bee-hive coke ovens and Slate Dump (Boney Dump) can be seen in the background to the right. Hecla No. 1 Mine was closed ca.1929. (Photo by Walker Evans ca.1935, courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
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USCo. Hecla Delivery Truck Union Supply Company, Hecla No. 52 Store Delivery Truck in the winter of 1935. (Photo by Walker Evans ca.1935, courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
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Hecla Store ca.1972 The old H.C. Frick Coke Company, Union Supply Company Hecla No. 52 Store, Hecla (Southwest, P.O.), Mt. Pleasant Township, Pennsylvania, ca.1970's, when Emery's Market occupied the building. Several alterations had been made to the roof lines, windows and exterior of the old Company Store building. The old wood-frame Company Store Hecla No. 52 building was destroyed in a fire in ca.1989. (Photo courtesy of Kenneth H. Eichner and the Mt. Pleasant Township Bicentennial Committee.) |
| Employees of H.C. Frick Coke Company's Union Supply Company Hecla No. 52 Store. A. J. Rehanek was the store Manager during most of the 1930's and 1940's. A Mr. Paterson, became the manager in the late 1930's to late 1940's. Mr. Goldsboro, was H.C. Frick Coke Company store manager from the late 1940's till early 1950's. Thomas W. Chernitsky, was the last H.C. Frick Coke Company Store manager, from the early 1950's till Frick Coke Company closed the store in 1954. Pauline (Ruse) Bechtell, was an employee ca. 1917-1923 (her married name was Bechtell). Walter Bechtell, was an employee ca.1917 to 1922, when he was promoted to Manager of the Union Supply Company, United #1 store. Blanche (Bechtell) Bungard, was another employee ca.1917 to 1943. Bill Bungard, who married Blanche Bechtell, was the Coke Oven Boss at Carpentertown from ca.1942 to 1954. The Bungard's lived in Hecla. Florence (Baker) Stairs, was an employee of Hecla #52 Store. Walter H. Bechtell, worked at the Hecla # 52 Union Supply Company Store as a teen-ager. After his Navy Service he became Manager of two of the H.C. Frick Union Supply Company's Pittsburgh Stores. When the Union Supply Company went out of business he purchased the Mt. Washington Store in Pittsburgh.
The Stores in Hecla:
Hecla Movie Theatre: Hecla also had a motion picture theatre, owned at one time by Frank (Francesco) Di Pietro, in the building occupied ca.1962 by the Hunshick family.
The Bowen Hotel: |
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Hecla Boy Scout Troop 1 The Hecla Boy Scout Troop 1, ca.1922-23. Charles Lessick, Scoutmaster; John Dzambo "Sando", Ass't Scout Master; Steve Zassick, Ass't Scout Master. (Photo courtesy of Kenneth H. Eichner and the Mt. Pleasant Township Bicentennial Committee.) |
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An early view of Hecla, showing the Hecla
No. 1 Mine coal company water reservior and baseball field to the
right. (Courtesy of the Coal Mining Archives of the Latrobe Area Historical Society, Latrobe, PA) |
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A view of Hecla, taken from the same hill
overlooking the water reservior and baseball field. (Photo courtesy of the Coal Mining Archives of the Latrobe Area Historical Society, Latrobe, PA) |
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Another view presumed tobe Hecla in the
winter, showing the mine tipple and trestle leading to the tipple from the
mine entry. (Photo courtesy of the Coal Mining Archives of the Latrobe Area Historical Society, Latrobe, PA) |
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Pennsylvania Railroad in
Hecla View of the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks that passed through Hecla, the H.C. Frick Company, Union Supply Company Store No. 52 building can be seen, to the right, in the background. (Photo courtesy of the collections of John G. King, Photo Studio and Railroading Historian, Belpre, OH) |
| Recreation in Hecla: As recreation in the earlier days the younger residents of the community went swimming in the warmer months and ice skating in the winter months at the Hecla Mine reservoir. |
| The Mines Close: In ca.1926, the H.C. Frick Coke Company reduced its operations at Hecla No. 1 Mine & Coke Works. Only eleven coke ovens were in use at Hecla No. 1 Coke Works and the Hecla No. 1 Mine produced less than 30,000 tons of coal. Production at Hecla No. 3 Mine & Coke Works diminished the following year and Frick closed the Hecla No. 3 Mine and Coke Works in 1928. One year later the company abandoned Hecla No. 1 Mine & Coke Works. In 1929 the H. C. Frick Coke Company began to close its mines in the vicinity and the dismantling of the buildings and equipment followed. The coal mining industry that was the backbone of Hecla's economy gradually faded, the Pennsylvania railroad branch operations declined with it, and a few years later the West Penn Railways trolley line was abandoned. Today there are only a few skeletons of Mine Offices and Coke Works remaining as a reminder of Hecla's thriving days. No longer lighted by blazing coke ovens, the clank and clatter of steam locomotives and trolley cars stilled, the Hecla of today is a pleasant residential community. |
| Hecla No. 3 Mine & Coke
Works: In ca.1902 the Hecla Coke Company developed a third mine and Coke Works, just south of Hecla No. 1 Mine, Hecla (Southwest P.O., PA), called Hecla No. 3 Mine. The Goat Hill Section of Hecla was associated with Hecla No. 3 Mine & Coke Works. Hecla No. 3 Mine was a shaft-entry mine, with a steel head frame, 92 ft. high, a brick boiler house and hoisting engine, a blacksmith and repair shop, a fan house which contained a 15' diameter Capell fan, and a lamp house and oil house each of brick construction.
Goat Hill Coal Company Patch Town, Hecla No. 3
Mine: |
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| Goat Hill Patch Goat Hill patch, located near Hecla No. 3 Mine, east of Hecla (Southwest), Mt. Peasant Township, looking up from the R.R. tracks. Built be the Hecla Coke Company ca.1903. The Goat Hill Patch section of Hecla was torn down after the Hecla No. 3 Mine & Coke Works closed ca.1934. (Photo courtesy of Kenneth H. Eichner and the Mt. Pleasant Township Bicentennial Committee) |
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Goat Hill, near the Hecla No. 3 Mine &
Coke Works, east of Hecla (Southwest, P.O.), Mt. Pleasant Township.
Looking down from the top of the hill. The Goat Hill houses were torn
down ca.1934. (Photo courtesy of Kenneth H. Eichner and the Mt. Pleasant Township Bicentennial Committee) |
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View from Goat Hill Another view from the Goat Hill Section at Hecla No 3 Mine & Coke Works, east of Hecla (Southwest, P.O.), Mt. Pleasant Twp. Hecla No. 3 Coke Ovens can be seen in the middle of the photo. (Courtesy of the Coal Mining Archives of the Latrobe Area Historical Society, Latrobe, PA.) |
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| None of the mine buildings survive in the Hecla (Southwest P.O.) area. There were two mines, Hecla No. 1 Mine & Coke Works and Hecla No. 3 Mine & Coke Works, which were both closed by ca.1929. Part of the bee-hive oven coke works survives at Hecla No. 3 Mine Coke Works. This includes a battery of bee-hive bank ovens and a battery of bee-hive block ovens. About 200 ovens remain, though they are in moderately to severely deteriorated condition. A part of the slate (boney) dump also survives near the coke ovens. |
| HISTORY: William K. Thaw, of Pittsburgh, leased thousands of acres of coal land in Mt. Pleasant Twp. in the early 1880's. Located at the southern junction of the West Penn Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Thaw and Dorsey Coal and Coke Company, controlled by the William K. Thaw interests of Pittsburgh, established the town of Hecla, and the Hecla No.1 Mine and Coke Works in ca.1882. The company name was changed in 1889 to The Hecla Coke Company, led by Thomas Laird. Six years after Hecla No. 1 Mine was established the Hecla Coke Company built a second mine, in ca.1888, and another town called Trauger, along with the Hecla No. 2 Mine & Coke Works a few miles from Hecla (Southwest, P.O.). Hecla No. 2 Mine, at Trauger, subsequently became the larger of the two mining operations.
From the Mine Inspectors Report for 1889:
From the Mine Inspectors Report for 1892:
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| H.C. Frick Coke Company Acquires Mines:
The H.C. Frick Coke Company acquired the properties of the Hecla Coke Company in 1906. This included the coal company patch towns of Hecla and Trauger, and the Hecla No. 1 Mine & Coke Works; Hecla No. 2 Mine & Coke Works and Hecla No. 3 Mine & Coke Works. Hecla No. 1 Mine Coke Works had 272 Bee-hive coke ovens; Hecla No. 2 Mine & Coke Works (Trauger Mine) had 300 Bee-hive coke ovens and Hecla No. 3 Mine & Coke Works had 300 Bee-hive coke ovens. In 1906 the three coke works produced over 401,000 tons of coke, and the three mines employed 814 miners. By the 1910's the population of Hecla (Southwest, P.O.) the company town for Hecla No. 1 Mine & Hecla No. 3 Mine, numbered about 1,000 persons. Condition of the Hecla No. 1 Mine in 1910 was: Ventilation and drainage in excellent condition. The roof and sides of the traveling way have been trimmed to an even surface and whitewashed with a mixture of lime and cement,and have an excellent appearance. Splendid discipline is being maintained in this mine. Improvements to the H.C.Frick Coke Company, Hecla No. 1 Mine in 1910 included: 15 permanent stoppings of fire proof construction were built. Stone and I-beam protection at shaft bottom was constructed, which includes 500 cubic yards of stone walls and 17,164 pounds of I beam. 1800 feet of the roof and sides of traveling way were trimmed to solid and whitewashed. At bottom of hoisting shaft additional protection was provided by way of masonry side walls and steel beam ceiling. The safety lamp equipment was renewed. Underground tail rope haulage extended 1000 feet, and work started on safety latches at landing for shaft cages. Improvements to the H.C. Frick Coke Company, Hecla No. 3 Mine in 1910 included: 14 brick stoppings were constructed. Stone and I beam protection at shaft bottom constructed, which includes 1200 cubic yards of stone walls and 69,274 pound of I beams. Work was started on safety latches for shaft cages and portion of coke yard track renewed with 85 pound rails. By 1918 Hecla No. 1 Mine & Coke Works and Hecla No. 3 Mine & Coke Works were superintended by A. H. Pollins with Hecla No. 3 Mine leading slightly in the production of coal. In 1918 Hecla No. 3 Mine produced over 285,000 tons of coal, compared to the nearly 270,000 tons produced at Hecla No. 1 Mine. In 1919 Hecla No. 1 Mine produced 184, 882 tons of coal, using 17,300 pounds of permissible explosives and used 129,791 tons of coal in the manufacture of coke, producing 86,528 tons of coke, with 272 coke ovens, 170 of them were in operation. In 1919 Hecla No. 1 Mine had 279 employees, and worked 198 days, with only 2 non-fatal accidents. In 1919 Hecla No. 3 Mine produced 240,357 tons of coal, using 9,352 pounds of permissible explosives and used 228,602 tons of coal in the production of coke, producing 152,402 tons of coke, with 300 coke ovens, 234 of which were in operation. In 1919 Hecla No. 3 Mine had 307 employees, and worked 269 days, with 2 fatal accidents, and 3 non-fatal accidents. In 1920 Hecla No. 1 Mine produced 218,217 tons of coal, using 196,538 tons in the manufacture of coke, producing 131,025 tons of coke, with 272 coke ovens, 245 of which were in operation. In 1920 Hecla No. 1 Mine had 265 employees, and worked 274 days, with 1 fatal accident. In 1920 Hecla No. 3 Mine produced 212,133 tons of coal, using 201,106 tons in the manufacture of coke, producing 134,069 tons of coke. With 300 coke ovens, 237 of which were in operation. In 1920 Hecla No.3 Mine had 265 employees and worked 237 days, with 4 non-fatal accidents. Except for the years 1921-22, from the late 1910's through the mid 1920's production of coal at No. 1 and No. 3 Mines remained about the same or below that produced in 1918. During this period coke production generally remained below 150,000 tons per year at each of the coke works. In 1926 H.C. Frick Coke Company reduced its operations at Hecla No. 1 Mine & Coke Works. Only eleven coke ovens were in use at Hecla No. 1 Mine Coke Works and the mine produced less than 30,000 tons of coal. Production at Hecla No. 3 Mine diminished the following year and Frick closed the Hecla No. 3 Mine and Coke Works in 1928. One year later the H.C. Frick Company also abandoned the Hecla No. 1 Mine & Coke Works. Soon after Hecla No. 3 Mine & Coke Works were closed ca.1934, the H.C. Frick Coke Company torn down the company-built houses on Goat Hill, which were located near the Hecla No. 3 Mine and Coke Works, probably because they were empty, also so they didn't have to pay the taxes on them. |
| On The Road to Armbrust: Located northwest of the town's center on the road to Armburst is another group of company-built houses, probably constructed by the Mount Pleasant Coke Company. These houses are in a single row and are virtually identical to the single-family dwellings in the residential area to the northeast of the town center, described above. In the early 1900's Mount Pleasant Coke Company operated two coke works along Boyer Run, near these houses. The Veteran Mine & Coke Works, with eighty bee-hive coke ovens was nearest to Hecla. The Boyer Mine & Coke Works, with 120 bee-hive coke ovens was located to the north. Nothing survives of these two coke works. (History and description of Hecla Mines & Coke Works, adapted with much additional data and pictures from "Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites, 1994," America's Industrial Heritage Project, National Park Service, Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record, U.S. Department of the Interior, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.) |
| Memories of Hecla by Barbara
Eshelman
I have been viewing all the information regarding the Hecla Mines, etc. It is excellent. My father, Homer F. Bechtell, Sr. was born there and as a child I visited my grandfather, Henry Bechtell, and aunt, Blanche Bechtell Bungard. Then for four years during World War II, my immediate family lived in Hecla. Kindly add my name to the listing of names in this Memorial: Eshelman, Barbara (Bechtell) (Company Store Employee) I worked there after school and summers while in high school. My Aunt Blanche was the Head Cashier at the time. Also, I am particularly impressed by the info and photos in the lengthy article about Hecla No. 1 Mine & Coke Works, Hecla No. 3 Mine and Coke Works. It brings back many memories of the residents, especially during the war years when as a high school student I was involved in registration of residents for ration books; having the info re: air raid drills come into my home and have to be passed on then to the community, etc. I am delighted to see this information about the area being recorded. Thank you. Barbara (Bechtell) Eshelman |
| "Coal Miners Memorial,
Hecla No. 1 Mine & Hecla No. 3 Mine, Hecla (Southwest P.O.), Mt. Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania" |
| West Penn Railways
Hecla Junction, Hecla (Southwest P.O.), Mt. Pleasant Twp., Westmoreland Co., PA |
| "Coal Miners
Memorial, Hecla No. 2 Mine & Coke Works, Trauger, Mt. Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania" |
| "History of the
Hecla No. 2 Mine & Coke Works (Trauger Mine), Trauger, Mt. Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania " |
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Mines of Westmoreland County, PA Contact: Ray Washlaski, Editor Copyright 2008, All rights reserved, by Raymond A. Washlaski, Ryan P. Washlaski & The 20th Century Society of Western Pennsylvania. Web site Design by "Mercers, an Undertakers" Web Design Company |
| From: dzambo@helicon.net (Barbara Dzambo) To: FIWAR@aol.com Dear Mr. Washlaski, Thank you for your e-mail. I think it's wonderful what you are doing. Finally, there is some recognition and remembrance of the past and people who worked so hard for us. John Dzambo was my grandfather. He was a coke drawer but I'm not 100% sure which mine he worked at. When I asked my older brother about it he referred a lot to Goat Hill - does that say anything to you? Most other older relatives don't remember or don't know. I've been trying to confirm this, but haven't had much luck. The reason for my interest is I'm working on a family tree. The photos you have of Hecla homes - my grandparents lived in the first house on the left directly across from the resevoir. I spent many days there when I was a little girl. The John Dzambo you reference as the scoutmaster was my uncle. Everyone called him Sando - We knew him as Uncle Sando. I didn't know his name was John until I was much older. Anyway, I viewed your websites and am really impressed. A lot of what you have I was lucky to read before while gathering materials from libraries and the Coal and Coke Center at the Penn State Fayette Campus. The lady who works there is really helpful. Perhaps she might have a list of names that worked in the Hecla mines - I got most of my info about Hecla from her. Did you ever consider a lasting memorial as in a bronze statue as a tribute to the miners? There is a website about the mining community of "Minersville" with photos of their memorial. I hope I didn't go on too much. I get excited when I find others interested in preserving the past. I will write again as soon as I can confirm which mine John Dzambo worked at. Thanks again. Barbara Dzambo |
