Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company
| Company type | Corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Coal mining |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | James J. Curran |
| Defunct | 2010 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy and acquisition by creditors; renamed Lehigh Anthracite |
| Headquarters | Pottsville , United States |
Area served | Northeastern Pennsylvania, United States |
| Products | Anthracite coal |
The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company (LCAN) operated from 1988 to 2010 as a contemporary anthracite coal mining enterprise based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. In 1988, it revived the Lehigh Coal Companies identity by purchasing substantial land holdings and conducting surface mining activities in the Panther Creek Valley located east of Lansford, Pennsylvania. Its major property interests included areas surrounding Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, Coaldale, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, and Lansford, Pennsylvania.
LCAN’s principal assets consisted of Panther Creek Valley lands originally held by the early Lehigh Coal Mine Company and Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, entities instrumental in the development of the Lehigh Canal and pioneering blast furnace technologies that fueled the American industrial era.
Established as a corporation in 1988, LCAN acquired former LC&N properties following bankruptcy settlements.
19th century
The initial Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company emerged as a dominant coal extraction and transportation enterprise founded in 1822 after successfully delivering anthracite coal shipments to Philadelphia via the groundbreaking Lehigh Canal.
This company originated from the merger of The Lehigh Coal Mining Company and the Lehigh Navigation Company (active between 1818 and 1822), acquiring land through a stock exchange. These assets opened vast anthracite mining regions across Northeastern Pennsylvania during the 19th and early 20th centuries, encompassing significant towns such as Tamaqua, Coaldale, Lansford, Summit Hill, Nesquehoning, and Jim Thorpe. Their operational reach extended along a 14-mile corridor from Jim Thorpe to West Tamaqua.
The remaining 8,000-acre anthracite-rich tract situated between Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua—originally owned by the Lehigh Coal Mine Company—ranks among the world’s most abundant high-grade anthracite deposits, comparable only to those found in the Wyoming Valley. Present-day mining utilizes surface mountain top removal techniques standard in American coal production.
20th century
During the 1960s, LC&N ceased its operations, with its coal lands transferring ownership to the Fazio Brothers. The decline of railroad revenues followed as major carriers like the Central Railroad of New Jersey, Lehigh and New England Railroad, and Lehigh Valley Railroad consolidated into Conrail.
Bethlehem Steel purchased LC&N in 1974 and managed it until 1989. That year marked James Curran’s acquisition of the property and subsequent revival of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company name.
21st century
The original enterprise—referred to as "the Old Company"—held extensive coal mining operations across Carbon and Schuylkill Counties, along with two canals: the Lehigh Canal and Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal. It also controlled transportation assets including the Mauch Chunk & Summit Hill Railway, Ashley Planes, and the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad (L&S), which linked Wilkes Barre on the Susquehanna River to the Lehigh River Gorge near Jim Thorpe, Allentown, and Easton. In the 1870s, this line was leased to the Central Railroad of New Jersey, extending service into a prestigious Scranton–New York City route. Additionally, the company constructed the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway for coal transport purposes.
The contemporary incarnation of LCAN was founded by James J. Curran, an attorney from Schuylkill County. Financial struggles led to bankruptcy in 2004, threatening some properties with tax-related sales. By 2006, mining activities halted unless Curran resigned due to breaches of a consent decree; new leadership subsequently assumed control.
As of 2008, the original mainline established by LC&N continues to serve as a vital transportation artery within Northeastern Pennsylvania, operated by Norfolk Southern alongside Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroads.
Throughout its later years, Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company encountered numerous environmental compliance violations resulting in fines. In late 2008, it filed for bankruptcy once more and was purchased by creditors who renamed it Lehigh Anthracite.
External links
- 1988 establishments in Pennsylvania
- 2010 disestablishments in Pennsylvania
- American companies established in 1988
- Coal companies of the United States
- Companies based in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
- Energy companies established in 1988
- Mining in Pennsylvania
- Non-renewable resource companies established in 1988