Denise Weber, a history teacher at Indiana Area Senior High School, donated photographic
glass plate negatives taken in Vintondale, Pennsylvania, 1906. Weber inherited
the plates from her grandparents, John and Mabel Huth, in memory of whom she donated
the plates to the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.
John Huth was a mine engineer and an assistant superintendent of Vinton Colliery
Company in Vintondale. The negatives were made in 1906 when the company was building
its new number six bituminous coal mine. They are of significance because they
illustrate the actual construction of a bituminous coal mine, as well as building
techniques dating from the turn of the century. The images offer a glimpse of
the importance such companies had on the development of towns like Vintondale
during the early 20th century. Vintondale was a company town laid out by the Vinton
Colliery Company in 1894, and was largely owned by Warren Delano, uncle of President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Specific views show the entrance to the number six mine, company officers, coal washeries, dinkey tracks, trestles, the construction of beehive coke ovens, the town plan, and the holdings of the coal company in 1906.
The views are in the form of thirty-three 5x7" and two 4x5" glass plate
negatives. Each plate has been identified on separate sheets as completely as
possible by Mrs. Weber.
