William J. Wilgus Collection, 1915-1916

(5 boxes, 20 volumes, 6 linear feet)

Collection 3006


© The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust Street * Philadelphia, PA 19107


The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Table of contents
Abstract
The William J. Wilgus Collection documents the valuation conducted by Wilgus during 1915 and 1916 on land and property either owned or leased by Coxe Brothers & Company, Inc. Coxe Brothers was a company that mined and leased anthracite coal lands in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Background note
William J. Wilgus was a consulting engineer in New York City who was hired by Coxe Brothers & Company, Inc. to make an appraisal of its properties in 1915. He was originally from Buffalo, New York, and served for a time as the Chief Engineer of the New York Central Railroad. In 1903, he masterminded the redesign and electrification of the underground terminal at Grand Central Station in New York City. Wilgus also promoted the use of electric trains for the entire New York City subway system. He left the railroad industry in 1907, however, after one of the new electric trains jumped the tracks going around a turn in the Bronx, killing twenty people. Wilgus was also the founder of the Transportation Service in France for the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I.

Coxe Brothers was an anthracite coal operator that was owned by the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company during the years that Wilgus was conducting his valuation. Coxe Brothers leased a majority of its lands from the Estate of Tench Coxe, Deceased, which was comprised of members of the Coxe family. The Coxe's ownership of anthracite coal land began with Tench Coxe, who started acquiring property in the Pennsylvania anthracite coal region in the 1790s. The Coxe family began mining their land in 1865, creating various coal-mining companies, one of which was called the Cross Creek Coal Company. Formed in 1882, this company was merged with some other Coxe-owned companies and changed its name to Coxe Brothers & Company, Inc. in 1900. Coxe Brothers was sold to the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1905, ending the direct involvement of the Coxe family in the fortunes of Coxe Brothers & Company, Inc.

The anthracite coal industry reached the height of its power and importance in the 1910s, employing more people and selling more coal than at any other point in its history. Thus the valuation of Coxe Brothers' property, which was done by Wilgus during the years 1915 and 1916, provides a snapshot of a major coal operator at the apex of the anthracite industry.


Scope and content
The William J. Wilgus Collection contains correspondence, photographs, maps, blueprints, and bound volumes related to the valuation of collieries, coal lands, and equipment either owned or controlled by Coxe Brothers & Company, Inc. The valuation was conducted in order to determine the value of property and equipment owned by Coxe Brothers. The material contained in the papers offers a wealth of information for historians of the anthracite coal industry. From the data contained in these papers, it would be possible to reconstruct one of the various Coxe Brothers' collieries in its entirety. Photographs of colliery structures and equipment are included, as well as building and equipment specifications, blueprints, and maps. The collection is divided into two series, namely, Valuation Papers & Blueprints and Bound Volumes. All of the items in the collection relate directly to the valuation done by Wilgus, and date from 1915 and 1916.

Arrangement
Series I Valuation Papers & Blueprints 5 boxes
Series II Bound Volumes 20 volumes


Administrative information
Restrictions on use
The collection is open for research.

Preferred citation
Cite as: [Indicate series, box and folder # or volume #s here], William J. Wilgus Collection (#3006), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Processing notes
Processed by: Patrick Shea

Processing Completed: November 2001


Additional information
Related material
The Wilgus Collection relates directly to the following collection:

Coxe Family Mining Papers, Collection #3005

All of the following collections contain materials relative to coal and coal mining:

Cephas Grier Childs, Collection #127

Henry Morris Papers, Collection #435

Northumberland County (Penna.) Papers, Collection #458

Thompson Family Papers, Collection #654

Weiss Family Papers, Collection #701

Midland Mining Company Records, Collection #1471

Powel Family Papers, Collection #1582

John Y. Clark Papers, Collection #1675

Mabel Brice Wheeler Collection, Collection #1799

Arthur Cecil Bining Collection, Collection #1811

Samuel Wells Morris Correspondence, Collection #1827

Chambers Family Papers, Collection #1939

Fred Walter Taylor Papers, Collection #1954

Morris Family Papers, Collection #2000C

Richard Renshaw Family Papers, Collection #2061

Language(s) represented
English.

Bibliography
Wilgus, William J. The Railway Interrelations of the United States and Canada. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1937.

Lewis, Tom. "Book Reviews: Grand Central Terminal: Railroads, Engineering, and Architecture in New York City, by Kurt C. Schlichting & Grand Central: Gateway to a Million Lives, by John Belle and Maxine R. Leighton. [Online Wilson Quarterly] August 30, 2001.

Added entries
Subjects
  • Anthracite coal industry - Pennsylvania
  • Coal mines and mining - Pennsylvania
  • Coal preparation plants - Pennsylvania
  • Mine valuation - Pennsylvania
  • Mining engineering - Pennsylvania
  • Contributors
  • Coxe Brothers & Company, Incorporated (1900-1950: Drifton, Pa.)
  • Lehigh Valley Coal Company (1875-?: Bethlehem, Pa.)
  • Lehigh Valley Railroad Company (1846-1976: Bethlehem, Pa.)
  • New York & Middle Coal Field Railroad and Coal Company (1851-?: Philadelphia)
  • Wilgus, William J., 1865-1949
  • Contact information

    The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
    [http://www.hsp.org/]
    1300 Locust Street
    Philadelphia, PA 19107

    ©2002

    Collection overview

    1915-1916
    Box (Boxes 1-5)

    Series 1 includes files of Coxe Brothers & Company, Inc., the Lehigh Valley Railroad, William J. Wilgus and other engineers, relative to the valuation of collieries and anthracite coal lands either owned by or under lease to Coxe Brothers & Company, Inc. Correspondence and notes relative to appraisals and valuations for each colliery are included. There are also numerous blueprints of colliery structures, miscellaneous surface features, mine workings and other colliery-related items depicted on these blueprints. Box 5 contains different types of materials, including cross sections, improvement charts and lease abstract sheets pertaining to various Coxe Brothers' collieries, which is why they have been arranged in a separate container. All the materials in Series 1 are arranged alphabetically by colliery or subject.




    1861-1926
    Box (20 Volumes)

    This series contains twenty bound volumes relative to the Coxe Brothers valuation conducted by Wilgus. Eight of the notebooks cover Mechanical and Structural Features, Buildings, and Miscellaneous features at Coxe Brothers' collieries, with one containing data relative to the property of the New York & Middle Coal Field Railroad and Coal Company. Numerous photographs of colliery structures, colliery equipment and dwellings taken during the valuation are included in the notebooks. They also contain lists of colliery buildings and miner's dwellings, electrical equipment, mechanical equipment, flumes, railroad trestles, and many other types of colliery items. Valuations for all the different types of equipment and supplies are included, as well as general property descriptions, colliery and property maps, and blueprints of the layout of the various collieries. Sketches of various colliery structures, miner's dwellings, railroad tracks, flumes, and machines are also contained in the notebooks. The numbering system on these volumes seemingly indicates that there may be volumes missing, however, the set of volumes appears to be complete. These volumes would be very useful to anyone wishing to understand how an early 20th century anthracite coal production facility was organized and operated.

    Twelve smaller notebooks are also included in this series. They contain field notes relative to either coal or mechanical and electric equipment. There are five coal notebooks, which contain data concerning the location, thickness and pitch of coal veins, and the location and length of underground tunnels, called gangways, which were dug to reach coal veins, as well as transport men and coal through the mines. The mechanical and electrical field books contain sketches and data pertaining to equipment at various Coxe Brothers' collieries, such as boilers, engines, and steam pipes. The volumes are organized by their type, either notebook or field book, then by subject.




    Collection inventory

     

    Series 1. Valuation Papers & Blueprints


    Beaver Meadow Colliery, General Correspondence
    1915-1916
    26 items
    Box 1: 1

    Beaver Meadow Colliery (Includes Quakake Lands), Part 1, Anthracite Collieries and Coal Lands, Valuation Unit 9
    1915-1916
    131 items
    Box 1: 2

    Beaver Meadow Colliery, (Includes Quakake Lands), Part 1, Anthracite Collieries and Coal Lands, Valuation Unit 9
    1915
    7 items
    Box 1: 3

    Bittenbender Farm, Miscellaneous Lands, Valuation Unit No. 13
    1915-1916
    48 items
    Box 1: 4

    Blueprints of the Coxe Properties and Collieries, Property of Mr. Fellheimer
    1915
    30 items
    Box 1: 5

    Blueprints of the Coxe Properties and Collieries, Property of Mr. Fellheimer, Part 2
    1915
    35 items
    Box 1: 6

    Blueprints of the Coxe Properties and Collieries, Property of the Office Engineer
    1915
    17 items
    Box 2: 1

    Council Ridge Property, General Correspondence
    1915-1916
    32 items
    Box 2: 2

    Council Ridge Property, Anthracite Collieries and Coal Lands, Valuation Unit No. 12
    1915-1916
    102 items
    Box 2: 3

    Coxe Collieries, Slope, Plane and Tunnel Sheets
    1915-1916
    148 items
    Box 2: 4

    Culm Bank Tonnage Sheets, Coxe Collieries
    1915-1916
    25 items
    Box 2: 5

    Deringer Mine, General Correspondence
    1915-1916
    29 items
    Box 2: 6

    Deringer Mine (Including Gowen), Part 1, Storage and Sales Facilities, Valuation Unit No. 6
    1915-1916
    99 items
    Box 2: 7

    Deringer Mine (Including Gowen), Part 2, Storage and Sales Facilities, Valuation Unit No. 6
    1915-1916
    51 items
    Box 3: 1

    Drifton Colliery, General Correspondence
    1915-1916
    21 items
    Box 3: 2

    Drifton Colliery, Part 1, Anthracite Collieries and Coal Lands, Valuation Unit No. 10
    1915-1916
    109 items
    Box 3: 3

    Drifton Colliery, Part 2, Anthracite Collieries and Coal Lands, Valuation Unit No. 10
    1915-1916
    17 items
    Box 3: 4

    Eckley Mine, General Correspondence
    1915-1916
    22 items
    Box 3: 5

    Eckley Mine (Includes Eckley Washery), Anthracite Collieries and Coal Lands, Valuation Unit No. 11
    1915-1916
    17 items
    Box 3: 6

    Mechanical and Electrical Features, Coxe Brothers & Company, Inc. Collieries and Properties
    1915
    21 items
    Box 4: 1

    Oneida Mine, General Correspondence
    1915-1916
    23 items
    Box 4: 2

    Oneida Mine, Part 1, Anthracite Collieries and Coal Lands, Valuation Unit No. 5
    1915-1916
    108 items
    Box 4: 3

    Oneida Mine, Part 2, Anthracite Collieries and Coal Lands, Valuation Unit No. 5
    1915-1916
    41 items
    Box 4: 4

    Tomhicken Mine, General Correspondence
    1915-1916
    23 items
    Box 4: 5

    Tomhicken Mine, Anthracite Collieries and Coal Lands, Valuation Unit No. 7
    1915-1916
    132 items
    Box 4: 6

    Valuation Notes and Correction, all Collieries
    1915
    251 items
    Box 4: 7

    Valuation Unit Boundaries, Hazleton District, Tonnage Sheets
    1916
    20 items
    Box 4: 8

    Beaver Meadow Colliery, Cross Sections, Valuation Unit No. 9
    1916
    16 items
    Box 5: 1

    Beaver Meadow Colliery, Improvement Charts, Valuation Unit No. 9
    1916
    41 items
    Box 5: 2

    Council Ridge Property, Cross Sections, Valuation Unit No. 12
    1916
    17 items
    Box 5: 3

    Council Ridge Property, Improvement Charts, Valuation Unit No. 12
    1916
    20 items
    Box 5: 4

    Deringer Mine, Cross Sections, Valuation Unit No. 6
    1916
    17 items
    Box 5: 5

    Deringer Mine, Improvement Charts, Valuation Unit No. 6
    1916
    43 items
    Box 5: 6

    Drifton Colliery, Cross Sections, Valuation Unit No. 10
    1916
    16 items
    Box 5: 7

    Drifton Colliery, Improvement Charts, Valuation Unit No. 10
    1916
    72 items
    Box 5: 8

    Eckley Mine, Cross Sections, Valuation Unit No. 11
    1916
    16 items
    Box 5: 9

    Eckley Mine, Improvement Charts, Valuation Unit No. 11
    1916
    61 items
    Box 5: 10

    Hazleton Property, Improvement Charts, Valuation Unit No. 8
    1916
    22 items
    Box 5: 11

    Interest Diagram relative to Minimum Interest during Construction
    1916
    14 items
    Box 5: 12

    Lease Abstract Sheet No. 16 for Coxe Brothers & Company, Inc. Properties
    1916
    4 items
    Box 5: 13

    Lease Abstract Sheet No. 17 for Coxe Brothers & Company, Inc. Properties
    1916
    7 items
    Box 5: 14

    Oneida Mine, Cross Sections, Valuation Unit No. 5
    1916
    16 items
    Box 5: 15

    Oneida Mine, Improvement Charts, Valuation Unit No. 5
    1916
    42 items
    Box 5: 16

    Tomhicken Mine, Cross Sections, Valuation Unit No. 7
    1916
    16 items
    Box 5: 17

    Tomhicken Mine, Improvement Charts, Valuation Charts Unit No. 7
    1916
    20 items
    Box 5: 18

     

    Series 2. Bound Volumes


    Valuation of 1915, Vol. XV - Inventories of Mechanical & Electrical Features at Oneida, Deringer & Tomhicken
    1915
    Vol. 1

    Valuation of 1915, Vol. XVI - Inventories of Mechanical & Electrical Features at the Hazleton Property, Beaver Meadow Colliery, Eckley Mine & the Council Ridge Property
    1915
    Vol. 2

    Valuation of 1915, Vol. XXXIV - Valuations of Buildings at Oneida & Deringer Mines
    1915
    Vol. 3

    Valuation of 1915, Vol. XXXV - Valuations of Buildings at Tomhicken Mine, Hazleton Property & Beaver Meadow Colliery
    1915
    Vol. 4

    Valuation of 1915, Vol. XXXVI - Valuations of Buildings at Drifton
    1915
    Vol. 5

    Valuation of 1915, Vol. XLIV - Valuation of Misc. Items at Oneida, Deringer, Tomhicken Mines& Hazleton Property
    1915
    Vol. 6

    Valuation of 1915, Vol. XLV - Valuations of Misc. Items at Beaver Meadow Colliery, Drifton Colliery, Eckley Mine, Council Ridge Property & Bittenbender Farm
    1915
    Vol. 7

    Valuation of 1915, Coxe Brothers & Company, Inc. / N.Y.& M.C.F.R.R.& C. Co. - All Property
    1915
    Vol. 8

    Coal, Field Book #4 - Oneida South Basin & Deringer (K-27)
    n.d.
    Vol. 9

    Coal, Field Book #5 - Oneida & Tomhicken (K-28)
    n.d.
    Vol. 10

    Coal, Field Book #6 - Gowen & Drifton No.1 (K-29)
    n.d.
    Vol. 11

    Coal, Field Book #8 - Beaver Meadow & Coleraine (K-31)
    n.d.
    Vol. 12

    Coal, Field Book #10 - Eckley & Buck Mountain Slopes (K-33)
    n.d.
    Vol. 13

    Mechanical & Electrical, Field Book #5 - Oneida Mine (K-64)
    n.d.
    Vol. 14

    Mechanical & Electrical, Field Book #6 - Deringer Mine (K-65)
    n.d.
    Vol. 15

    Mechanical & Electrical, Field Book #9 - Beaver Meadow Colliery (K-66)
    n.d.
    Vol. 16

    Mechanical & Electrical, Field Book #9 - Beaver Meadow Colliery (K-67)
    n.d.
    Vol. 17

    Mechanical & Electrical, Field Book #10 - Drifton Colliery (K-68)
    n.d.
    Vol. 18

    Mechanical & Electrical, Field Book #10 - Drifton Colliery (K-69)
    n.d.
    Vol. 19

    Mechanical & Electrical, Field Book #11 - Eckley Mine (K-70)
    n.d.
    Vol. 20