King Coal Association celebrates area’s mining history
For the past 70 years, the King Coal Association has promoted and celebrated the history of mining in Southwestern Pennsylvania, reminding residents of its importance to the region.
“Going back to earlier years, probably even before the 1900s, the coal industry, and coal mines specifically, really built some of these towns. Nemacolin, for example, was built as a coal town,” said Katyln Fox, publicity director for the Greene County-based nonprofit.
The association’s marquee event, the King Coal Show, serves as a reminder of the impact the industry had on the region, Fox said.
“When you think about the Gold Rush that happened out west, the coal industry was our big boom,” she said.
In its first year, the King Coal Show consisted of a small pageant with a parade and some coal mining demonstrations.
Today, the Coal Queen pageant draws contestants from high schools in several area counties, and the size of the parade has grown exponentially. The weeklong show now also includes live music, fireworks and amusement park rides.
Those events attract people to the show, but education remains the show’s core principle.
“Our goal is to bring light to the history and the current standing of the coal industry,” Fox said.
The King Coal Association is made up of three organizations: Carmichaels and Cumberland Township Volunteer Fire Co., Carmichaels Lions Club and the Carmichaels Chamber of Commerce. The funds that are raised from the show go back to the organizations, which invest them back into the community.
Fox said the association is looking for volunteers and new ideas to both improve the King Coal Show and to spread education and appreciation for coal miners.
“We want to continue focusing on our sense of pride in the coal industry,” Fox said. “It was dangerous but also gave families a stable living.”
For more information, visit the King Coal Association Facebook page.