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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.
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