TABLE OF CONTENTS

Biographical Note

Scope and Content Notes

Restrictions

Controlled Access Terms

Administrative Information

Container List

Guide to the Penn Run and Russel Coal Co. Employment Records, 1934-1937

Biographical Note

The Penn Run Coal Company's Victor #45 Mine and the Russell Coal Company's Victor #29 Mine were opened near Clymer, in Indiana County, PA, in 1919. They were owned by Richard Peale, of St. Benedict, Cambria County, who owned the mines' parent company Peale, Peacock, and Kerr Corporation. A.C. Hoknke was the superintendent of Victor #45 and Russel Coal Company's Victor #29. The mines all used the New York Central Railroad for haulage. Although the men who worked at the Victor mines did not live in Company built towns. Peale did own and operate a company store in Clymer. In 1919, there were 4 Victor mines operating under the numbers 24, 25, 27, and 29. That year, the mines together had 430 employees and produced 335,470 tons of coal, which was comparable to other mines in Indiana County. The Penn Run Coal Corporation opened Victor #45 in 1924; it was also owned by Richard Peale. All of these mines had as their parent company the Peale, Peacock and Kerr Corporation, which owned significant coal lands in Cambria County, primarily in the area around Patton, Pennsylvania. In 1927, Victor #45 had 139 employees and shipped 68, 228 tons of coal over the N.Y.C. R.R. Both the Russell Coal Company mines and the Penn Run mines were abandoned and dismantled by the end of 1938, with all four mines working less than 38 days a year. ( as opposed to larger local mines averaging 130 days a year for the same time period.) The Penn Run - Russell Coal Collection is particularly relevant to the study of the mining industry due to the detailed information supplied on the documents. For each man employed, there are stated, among other data, his age, number of years, experience in the mines, origin of birth, number of dependents, the physical description, and the reasons for leaving his place of former employment. Thus, they are useful for researchers interested in immigration patterns, movement of mines within the area, and the study of family relationships during the 1930's.

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Scope and Content Notes

This collection contains the employment records of Penn Run and Russel coal company during their last years of operation, 1934 to 1937. The records include information such as age, experience, national origin, physical description, and reason for leaving prior place of employment for each employee.

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This collection is housed in two archival boxes.

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Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Property rights reside with Indiana University of Pennsylvania, University Archives and Special Collections. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the coordinator of the University Archives and Special Collections.

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Administrative Information

The Penn Run and Russel coal company Employment Records, 1934-1937, 134-1937, MG# 83, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, University Archives and Special Collections

This collection was processed by Special Collections Staff,date unknown. Papers rearranged and inventory rewritten by Special Collections Staff in Spring 2001.

Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Jason Hutchins on October 29, 2001.

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