History of anthracite coal mining in Pennsylvania occurred with the New York prices (Latzko, 17). The usage of anthracite coal in the iron industry increased demand for hard coal. Since the late 18th century coke (bituminous coal with the impurities burned away) was used as fuel to make iron in Britain. With the spread of popularity of anthracite in the early 19th century, iron makers began experimenting with using anthracite as fuel in iron production. It wasn’t until 1840 when David Thomas introduced Welsh hot blast technology to the Lehigh Crane Iron Company that anthracite was successfully used to smelt iron. It was indicated that using anthracite
Anthracite iron differently designed furnaces. The first American smelt of Anthracite Pig Iron was performed July 4, 1840 by principal-partners David Thomas, Josiah White and Erskine Hazard at their Lehigh Crane Iron Works in their first hot blast furnace along Catasauqua Creek aided by Samuel Thomas and the employees of the LCIW, in what became Catasauqua in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The technology enabled industries the chance to produce cast iron sufficient to demand and eventually adapt production to also feed the demand to generate wrought iron and steel. These useful materials are achieved by adding additional processing — by taking pig iron