WILKES-BARRE — A regional observance of Anthracite Mining Heritage Month will take place during January, offering a variety of programs that will be featured in various places — Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Hazleton, Plymouth, Nanticoke, Pittston, Lansford and Port Griffith.
The annual event focuses on the history and culture of the anthracite region of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
And well it should.
Northeastern Pennsylvania has a rich mining history — an industry that brought many to the area and, through their hard work — which is a gross understatement — this area was built.
One of my most vivid memories for me of the coal mining days is that of a man walking every day on Reynolds Street in Plymouth, carrying a lunch bucket and wearing a helmet with a light.
The man would walk down the street early each morning before most of us were awake to go to work.
He would return late in the day — usually well after sundown — and he would be black as the coal that he worked with for the past 10-plus hours.
His name was Anthony Balita. His son, Christopher, was a childhood friend of mine.
Mr. Balita, as we always referred to him, was a quiet man with a purpose — to work and earn money to support his wife and three boys.
Mr. Balita was a coal miner.
At the end of each day, Mr. Balita would scrub himself of all of the black coal dust and his natural skin tone would again be seen. Only to have him repeat the process the next day. Never did I hear him complain. He went about his daily business with determination and pride.
This was the type of man whom anthracite historian and Wyoming Valley native, the late Jim Burke, talked about often.
Mr. Balita’s daily trek was a constant reminder of the work ethic of so many back then. It’s an image I will never forget.
There will be several events in January sponsored by the Anthracite Heritage Museum, the Anthracite Heritage Foundation, King’s College, the Lackawanna Historical Society, the Luzerne County Historical Society, the Plymouth Historical Society, the Nanticoke Historical Society, WVIA-Public Broadcasting, the Susquehanna Brewing Company, the Huber Breaker Preservation Society, the No. 9 Mine and Museum, Baloga Funeral Home, the National Museum of Industrial History and the Knox Mine Disaster Memorial Committee.
The public is invited to attend all events, which are open free of charge except for the Knox Mine Disaster documentary on Jan. 21, and the Msgr. John J. Curran play on Jan. 30, which require advance purchase tickets.
And in addition to Mr. Balita, I also often think about the Breaker Boys — whose main job was to separate chunks of coal by hand. As coal came down the conveyor belt, they would break up the coal into common-sized pieces and also separate out things like rocks, clay and soil.
The Breaker Boys were the lowest-paid workers at 50 to 65 cents per day — and their ages ranged between 8 and 16.
The Breaker Boys were our grandfathers and great-grandfathers. They were the men who risked their lives every day to help provide for their families.
Here are some of this month’s events:
• Throughout January, WVIA Public Radio & Television in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania will offer a series of programs.
• Thursday, Jan. 13, Nanticoke Historical Society, Public Program: Mining Anthracite — Memories and Commentaries from Those Who Did, and Those Who Are Doing.
• Friday, Jan. 14, Wilkes-Barre Preservation Society, Public Event: A Guided Tour of the Luzerne County Court House.
• Saturday, Jan. 15, No. 9 Coal Mine and Museum, Public Event: A Guided Tour of the Historic No. 9 Coal Mine.
• Saturday Jan. 15, Plymouth Historical Society, Public Program: The Avondale Disaster of 1869.
• Thursday, Jan. 20, The McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, King’s College, and the Anthracite Heritage Foundation, Public Program: The Annual Msgr. John J. Curran Lecture.
• Friday, Jan. 21, A Screening of “The Knox Mine Disaster: A Documentary Film,” by David Brocca and Al Brocca.
• Saturday Jan. 22, Anthracite Heritage Museum, Public Program: The Annual Knox Mine Disaster Commemoration.
• Saturday Jan. 22, Susquehanna Brewing Company, Free Concert: An Evening of Anthracite Region Music.
• Sunday Jan. 23, Annual Knox Mine Disaster Memorial Mass.
• Sunday Jan. 23, Annual Knox Mine Disaster Public Commemoration.
• Sunday Jan. 23, Annual Walk to the Knox Mine Disaster Site.
• Tuesday, Jan 25, Luzerne County Historical Society, Public Program: Doing Anthracite Region Research: Some Available Resources.
• Sunday Jan. 30, Lackawanna Historical Society: A Live Theatrical Performance, For the Least of Them, a play about the life of Msgr. John J. Curran (“The Mineworkers’ Priest”).
For more information
• Contact: Prof. Bob Wolensky, Anthracite Heritage Foundation & King’s College, at 715-252-6742, or email — [email protected].