History of anthracite coal mining in Pennsylvania the Delaware Division and Morris Canals, canal companies successfully provided urban markets for anthracite coal (Latzko, 3). The anthracite commercial market greatly expanded, and the hard coal was used as valuable fuel for heating and cooking domestically, as well as energy sources for small businesses such as blacksmiths, brewers, bakers, and manufacturers (Adams, “US Coal Industry”). Joseph White and Erskine Hazard founded the Lehigh Navigation Company in 1818. They wanted to use rivers to more efficiently transport anthracite coal. After they were declined a charter to the Schuylkill River, they tried to receive a charter for the Lehigh River. The
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