About Schuylkill County, PA

Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania has a stable population of more than 152,600, three-quarters of whom are rural residents. The wide open spaces and mountain vistas in this 784 square mile county afford a variety of scenic overlooks offering breathtaking agricultural beauty straight out of the 18th Century.

Originally, this area was called Ganshohawanee, a Delaware Indian name meaning "rushing and roaring waters". Most of the original settlers (before 1750) spoke German.  Their pronunciation of Ganshohawnee soon became Schuylkill (pronounced “school kill”). Schuylkill became an official County of Pennsylvania in 1811.

The History of Schuylkill County
Farming began to give way to the fever of coal, or anthracite in the 19th century.  The Schuylkill Canal was opened in 1825 by the Schuylkill Navigation Company in order to serve as cheap and efficient transportation for shipping the 'black diamonds to market.

Pottsville, the county seat of Schuylkill, was the transshipment point for coal. The first Schuylkill railroad was only the third railroad built in America. Passenger service followed followed the coal, and railroads soon replaced canals as a more cost-efficient method. Jobs and prosperity brought more immigrants who spoke Welsh, English, Irish, and German. Unlike surrounding counties, Schuylkill began diversifying its economic base early. Coal was King - but it also demanded mining equipment, machinery, powder mills, iron manufacturing, and boat building. These, in turn, called for sawmills, slaughtering houses, textiles, distilleries and breweries.

Despite the harsh conditions and low wages of the coal industry, coal is still king in Schuylkill, holding four billion tons of anthracite coal reserves. Schuylkill continues to diversify.  Heavy manufacturing is now balanced by service-related businesses.

Think back to those scenic overlooks. Schuylkill County offers Antiques & Shopping, fine dining and lodging, camping and other outdoor recreation such as Fishing & Canoeing on The Little Schuylkill River (17 miles of canoeable river). Hiking Trails include the Appalachian Trail, the Historic Tow Path Trail, (goes through a number of Schuylkill Canal Locks) and the Lehigh & New England Rail-Trail. The Locust Lake State Park, Tuscarora State Park, and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary are must-sees for nature lovers. Other places of interest are Big Diamond Raceway, Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine, No. 9 Mine & Museum, Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, and Galen Glen Vineyard and Winery.

Schuylkill has 50 Boroughs and Townships, some of the most notable being:

• Bloomsburg
• Danville
• Mahanoy City
• Pottsville
• Mahanoy City
• Schuylkill Haven

Schuylkill boasts 8 schools of higher learning, including Pennsylvania State University, Schuylkill Institute of Business and Technology, and Schuylkill Technology Centers.