Ligonier Valley Rail Road Newspaper Articles
We have compiled over 1,400 newspaper articles that mention the Ligonier Valley Railroad, or related subjects. The articles were originally published starting in 1873 and our collection runs through 1995. Enjoy!
Altoona Tribune
Wednesday, August 29, 1906
The Ligonier Coal Field
A Region Which Promises Much in the Way of Adding to the Wealth of the State
Residents of the Ligonier coal field, says the Greensburg Morning Review, are highly elated over the present and prospective coal developments, and believe that section is destined to become one of the great centers for coal and coke production of the Westmoreland-Connellsville region.
The Old Colony company, formerly the Colonial, which has a 300-acre body of coal land, is running 100 ovens in full blast and the plant is being conducted with great success.
The seat of the new field of operations is on the Lytle farm, 3 miles northeast of Ligonier, to which place Contractor John Hermann, of Latrobe, is building a four mile extension of the Ligonier Valley railroad. At this point the Shenango Furnace company owns an aggregate of 1,100 acres of the 7-foot Pittsburg vein, and the name given to the scene of operations is the Wilpen coke plant. The coal will be mined by drift openings on the Lytle farm, where 100 ovens will be built at once, the massive retaining wall for which is now underway, and on which job 170 laborers are engaged at the present time. This coke plant will be eventually enlarged until 400 ovens reflect their blaze on the midnight sky.
Parenthetically it may be mentioned here that the Ligonier township citizens are enjoying what they call a good joke on their Fairfield township neighbors. While most of the coal of the Shenango company is located under land in the latter township, the former township will reap the benefit of the taxes, because of the fact that the plant is located in Ligonier township.
The Shenango Furnace companys immense mills are located on the Pittsburg and Lake Erie railroad, in Mercer county. The company is capitalized at $10,000,000, and it is given out as coming directly from headquarters that the aforesaid corporation will expend $1,000,000 in the development of its Ligonier valley coal field.
Messers. Seger Brothers, the promoters and heavy stockholders in the Old Colony company, have bought the Kuhns and James Smith farms, adjoining the Lytle farm, under which tracts they have an aggregate of probably 100 acres of coal.
In connection with these various projects it may be added that with the Ligonier railroad extension now in progress to the Wilpen coke plant, on the Lytle farm, the survey has been made for continuing the line to Bolivar, where it will connect with the Pennsylvania railroad, thus making a semi-circle from Latrobe via Ligonier, to Bolivar, and passing through greater coal fields, with more developments to follow.