| Calumet, PA during the Great Depression,
the 1930's After the H.C. Frick Coke Company shut down the coal mines at Calumet, there wasn't much work in the area for the coal miners that remained in Calumet. The following photographs of the miners and their families that lived in Calumet were taken during the great depression of the 1930's, by the Farm Security Administration. The government workers that visited the coal patches gave them little except lip service and empty promises. |
| Old Hungarian Miner and his wife from Calumet Mines | |
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An old Hungarian Miner and his wife at Calumet Mines,
Calumet, Mt. Pleasant Township, Westmoreland Co., during the great depression.
He dug coal by hand in the coal mines for 34 years, made the coal baron
rich, and the coal company screwed him, now at age 63 he has no pension and
no work (photo ca. Oct., 1935). (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
| Not much of a future here, were to go. | |
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The old Hungarian Miner and his wife standing in front
of their garden, their only means of support, and yard in the Calumet Patch,
Calumet, Mt. Pleasant Township. After the shut down of the mines, the H.C.
Frick Coke Company left them with nothing, but to fend for themselves, photo
ca.Oct. 1935. (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
| Old Hungarian Miner from Calumet | |
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The old miner on his back porch in Calumet, discussing
the mines he spent his life in with an official of the Farm Security
Administration, ca.1935. But, the government did nothing for the poor
coal miners, only more talk. (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
| Nothing to look forward to | |
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With nothing to look forward to, the old miner wonders
what the future will be for him and his wife, ca.1935. He gave his life to
the H.C. Frick coal company and got nothing in return. (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
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Not much Hope The fat cat Farm Security Administration official leaves the old miner without much hope for the future, ca.1935. (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
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A Miner's Family in Calumet A young coal miner and his family in Calumet during the great depression, with no work, mainly relied on their gardens to survive. Photo ca.1935 (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
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Calumet A miner's family in Calumet during the depression. Photo ca.1935 (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
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Children without a future. Two of the Calumet miner's childen, wearing their homemade flour-bag clothes left without much of a future after the H.C. Frick closed and abandoned the mines in Calumet. Photo ca.1935 (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
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Proud of her house With a few meger furnishing, the coal miner's families of Calumet survived, with pride. Photo ca.1935 (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
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The Pot almost empty The cooking Pot was almost empty, as food was scarce, but the sprite of the Calumet coal miners wasn't broken. Photo ca.1935. (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
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A Former Coal Miner Former coal miner at Calumet Mine, (photo ca. Oct., 1935) after the mines had shutdown, with no work or means of support, with the fenced in back yards and gardens of the coal company patch houses in the background, Calumet, Mt. Pleasant Township. (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
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Layed off Coal Miners Layed-off coal miners, with no work, no money, and no means of support, passing the time of day at the abandoned Calumet Mine, after the mines closed down, Calumet, Mt. Pleasant Township. The miners relied on each other for support, as the H.C. Frick Coke Company abandoned them and the government did nothing for them. (photo ca.Oct., 1935) (Photo courtesy of Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information, Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.) |
|
History of the Calumet Mine & Coke Works", Calumet, Mt. Pleasant Twp., Westmoreland Co., PA |
|
"Progress ending a way of Life, The Calumet Coke Works", Calumet, Mt. Pleasant Twp., Westmoreland Co., PA |
| Coal
Miners Memorial, Calumet Mine & Coke Works, Calumet, Mt. Pleasant Twp., Westmoreland Co., PA |
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