The Secret Beneath Hazleton | Mining History | Short Documentary | WVIA

Join us on an extraordinary journey into the hidden depths of Hazleton in this 10-minute short documentary from the "VIA Short Takes" series. Discover the untold stories of the miners who once toiled in a vast underground network, revealed by a recent opening of an old mine shaft near an abandoned shopping center.

🔍 Synopsis:
When heavy rains uncovered a long-forgotten mine shaft in Hazleton, it opened a window to a forgotten world. Beneath the city streets lies a labyrinth of tunnels, workshops, and remnants of a bustling underground life. This documentary explores the fascinating history and immense scale of these subterranean structures, guided by mine engineer Justin Emershaw and urban explorer Shane Balliet.

👷‍♂️ Featuring:

Justin Emershaw: Mine Engineer, Superintendent at Jetta and Stockton Surface Mines.
Shane Balliet: Urban Explorer and Historian.

🗺️ Highlights:

Rare look at historical mine maps and the extensive underground infrastructure.
First-hand accounts of the miner's life and the significance of coal mining in Hazleton.
Exploration of the newly discovered mine shaft and its historical artifacts.

📜 Learn More:
Understand how Hazleton's mining history shaped the town and why it's essential to preserve and educate about this hidden legacy.

🔔 Subscribe to WVIA for more captivating documentaries that bring history to life.

#Hazleton #Documentary #MiningHistory #UndergroundCity #VIAShortTakes #UrbanExploration #HistoryUncovered
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WVIA is the PBS and NPR affiliate serving over 22 counties in northeastern and central Pennsylvania. For over 50 years WVIA has been committed to serving the people by offering informational, educational, and entertaining content that enriches and expands viewpoints and serves as a catalyst for positive change.

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[jackiesolensky]

This is incredible. I've lived all my life 67 yrs here in Hazleton and never knew or even heard anything about this. This is our history and it needs to be known.

[RICHARDMAGGIO-dy]

This documentary is amazing. To see all the mining that went on underneath Hazleton & the surrounding areas.

[naturalgetaway]

Was this documentary made by their local PBS station!? It is absolutely my all time favorite short documentaries. Insanely well done. Keep producing documentaries like this.

[CassandraEveland-cxuv]

You did amazing at sharing how beautiful our city really is. If only everyone else would appreciate what we have.

[Ocean_breezes]

I was born in Hazelton in 1954. Lived on Church street for 22 yrs. . Moved out of Pa in 1976 after high school and college. I know those mines and the area well. Thanks for the memories from my childhood

[NicoleGuerrieri]

My great grandfather worked in those mines. God bless all the men and boys who were down there. Can't imagine!

[otiselevator]

Bravo! ‘best YouTube documentary I’ve ever seen.

[laurahornick]

I've been wanting to know more about an air shaft out there from the buck vein. crazy he mentioned it!

[xpup]

Should make a longer more indepth documentaries on this subject. Would make a great series on nat geo

[zdog]

I hvae lived here my whole life and i never knew how extensive the workings of all the mines were. While i drive down broad or church im driving over such a huge complex of mines is staggering!

[Couchflyer-NY]

This documentary is awesome. I’ve visited Hazleton because many generations of my wife’s family are buried there. It’s an interesting town. While anthracite is the main player, many historical events happened above ground in that region. For example, Hazleton was an early adopter of Edison’s electric lights in 1884. More recently, one of the first places in America to have cable television in 1949. Cable’s birthplace is in Mahaney City which is 13 miles south west of Hazleton. There is always a dark side to history like the 1895 Lattimer Massacre. Anyway, the people are friendly and the pizza is good. Be respectful when visiting.

[duaneayers]

I would like to know how each street underground got its name & who was the one or one's who got to name them and why that name.

[MaryfromMaryland]

My grandfathers on both sides were miners there!

[amarsilio]

This needs to be shown in our schools to allow a new generation to understand the Hazleton historic culture.

[joecummings]

I know where there are hundreds of those maps from the Hazleton area. Most of them are drawn on paper with so much rag content that where there were small tears they sewed them with a needle and thread. Lots of them from the 1800's. As far as accuracy goes, the story I was told by old timers was that Al Roman used those maps to decide where to drill to rescue the miners at Sheppton in 1963. They used Pagnotti's drill rig, and a bit flown up from The Hughes Tool Company in Texas by helicopter. Pope John XXIII also made an appearance underground and helped (Seriously)

[palehorsepayton]

Should have gone down and saved as many artifacts as possible. Here in Alabama we have the same thing but with iron mines and when they shutdown they took everything they could take off

[onefastneonrt]

Coal was the lifeblood of the country. Trains, home heating, factories, ships, power generation all dependent on those miners.

[kingrobthegreat]

During this time there was a rumour that the homless used the mine to go to the left where the strip malls are.
They allegedly popped out of the ground, into the store, and used fishing polls to retrieve

[TheRealKalEll]

Ironically mining has both stabilized and destabilized cities worldwide both above and below the surface.

[robertmccully]

And then one day it closed and they left.