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| Boltz, East Wheatfield Twp., Indiana Co.,
PA [A coal company patch town in East Wheatfield Twp., Indiana County, Pennsylvania.] [Located on the Pennsylvania Railroad, Conemaugh Division.] [The town of Boltz was also known as Charles.] See:Boltz Mine, Boltz, East Wheatfield Twp., Indiana Co., PA Diamond No. 1 Mine, Boltz, East Wheatfield Twp., Indiana Co., PA Diamond No. 2 Mine, Boltz, East Wheatfield Twp., Indiana Co., PA
Boltz Mine
Diamond No. 2 Mine (ca.1920-
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| A portion of the U.S.G.S. New Florence, PA 15min. Quad
Map 1922ed. [left] and the U.S.G.S. Johnstown, PA 15min. Quad Map [Right],
showing Boltz, Seward and the Pennsylvania Railroad and surrounding
area. (Map courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.) |
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| A portion of the U.S.G.S. 7 1/2min. Quad Map showing Boltz,
West Wheatfield Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania and the surrounding
area. (Map courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.) |
| DESCRIPTION: Boltz, or Charles, on the Conemaugh River in southern East Wheatfield Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, is a former coal mining patch town laid out on three parallel streets adjacent to the Boltz Mine site. Two types of coal company built houses are represented, single family houses and double family houses. The typical single house is characterized by its front-gable roof, and shad porch across the front. Windows are double-hung sash with 6/6 lights. A small shed section is attached to the rear. The building rests on a poured concrete and concrete block foundation, and has a simple brick interior flue at the roof near the rear. The house is clad in shingle siding laid in a "French-lap" pattern. There were approximately twenty single family houses of such design in the community, ca.1993. The typical double family house is two-story frame house and is distinguished by its square plan, shallow hipped roof, and simple half-hipped porch across the front. Windows are double-hung sash with 6/6 lights. The houses rest on concrete slabs and concrete block foundations and have a simple brick interior flues at the roof ridges near the rear. Houses are clad in shingle siding laid in a "French-Lap" pattern. There were approximately twenty-five houses of this design in the community, ca.1993. A number have been altered by replacement of siding materials and by additions. |
| HISTORY: This small coal patch town located on the Conemaugh River one mile upstream and across the river from Seward was established by ca.1914 by the Cramer Coal, Coke & Stone Company. A mine operated by the Johnstown Coal & Coke Company, called the "Cramer Mine," was in operation here as early as ca.1900, which by ca.1907 produced 20,500 tons of coal and employed thirty men and boys; however, it was idle a few years later. Cramer Coal, Coke & Stone purchased the former "Cramer Mine" site in ca.1914, reopening the mine with seventy-five men and boys, and changed the name to the "Thomas Mine." This company built the first forty miners houses here in ca.1914. The Diamond Smokeless Coal Company purchased the Thomas Mine operations in ca.1916, and constructed twenty more coal company houses. In ca.1993 about fifty houses are present in the village. The community was sometimes known as "Charles," but later as "Bpltz," after five men sctive in the Diamond Smokeless Coal Company: Baker, Owens, Ling, Thomas and Zimmerman. The Boltz Mines ceased to operate about ca.1`965; The mine site and boney dump are being reclaimed. |
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| Panoramic view of of the Coal Company
Patch Town of Charles or Boltz, West Wheatfield Township, Indiana County,
Pennsylvania and the Diamond Smokeless Mine. Photo was taken from the
roof of the Coal Company Store, located near the railroad tracks. The
school house is the smaller hip roofed building to the left of the company
store. Slide to the right to see the whole
town. (Photo courtesy of "Johnstown Area Heritage Association," Johnstown, PA.) |
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| A view of the Coal Company Town of Boltz, West
Wheatfield Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, taken from across the
Conemaugh River, above the Pennsylvania Railroad Mainline. The Diamond
Smokeless Mine is in the upper right hand corner. (Photo courtesy of "Johnstown Area Heritage Association," Johnstown, PA.) |
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| The coal company owned store also served as the Post Office
at Boltz (Charles), East Wheatfield Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania.
The company store met the needs of the miners and their families that
worked at the Boltz Mines. (Photo courtesy of "Johnstown Area Heritage Association," Johnstown, PA.) |
| Coal Miners
Memorial Cramer Mines (Boltz Mine), Boltz, Cramer, East Wheatfield Twp., Indiana Co., PA |
| To Select another Index to Indiana County Coal Mines Click on the Larry cars for Index Page or on a Letter below |
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| Select another Index to the Coal Mines
of Indiana County, Pennsylvania [Click on a letter to take you to that Index]
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| Return to the Main County Index for Southwestern Pennsylvania Coal Mines |
| Local History
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Mines of Indiana 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 |
