History of anthracite coal mining in Pennsylvania Mine Company with other businessmen from Philadelphia. The company had a slow start because of the difficulty in igniting anthracite coal and the inability to transfer the coal to urban markets (Dublin, Licht, 11). Judge Jesse Fell of Wilkes-Barre discovered a solution to ignite anthracite in 1808 with the usage of an iron grate that allowed the coal to light and burn easier. Demand for the anthracite coal increased slightly (Dublin, Licht, 12). Brothers Abijah and John Smith were the first to successfully transport hard coal when they moved 50 tons on an ark down the Susquehanna River to Columbia
History of anthracite coal mining in Pennsylvania British navy blockades through during the war, industrialist Josiah White set his mill supervisors the task of experimenting with Anthracite to get to ignite and burn in a useful way. In 1813, the first mining actually in the Lehigh Valley was begun at Beaver Meadows, however, because of the various struggles getting it the to Philadelphia and because it is far more difficult to ignite Anthracite with its sporadic and unreliable supply did not come to be generally used regularly until after the War of 1812 and Hazard and White showed the way. The developments of the canal and then