The village of Standard Shaft in Mt. Pleasant Township was the site of one of the nation’s largest coal mine and coke works. Soon a historical marker will commemorate the site. Built in 1883 by the H.C. Frick Co., the Standard Shaft No. 2 mine and its adjacent beehive coke oven works were a hub of activity as almost 1,000 men and young boys produced 56 tons of coal per month. Many of the employees were immigrants, and many were ancestors of families who live in the area today. “There are a lot of families in the area who had relatives that worked the mines,” Connie Gentry said. “Many people will relate stories about their ancestors and stories of their times at Standard Shaft No. 2.” The once-thriving works, with its buildings of brick and stone and the slag dump that rose high into the sky, were reminders of the industry at the edges of Mt. Pleasant. Only two buildings remain that were part of the works: a machine shop built about 1910 and a generator and lamp house that was built about 1883. A reclamation project in the mid-1980s to late 1990s eliminated the mountainous pile of slate and slag. Gentry, who grew up in the “patch town” of Standard Shaft, knew of the site and the history of the area, but realized that memories were all the she and others like her had. “I realized that because the ‘slag dump’ and most of the buildings were gone, that many people would never have any idea as to what existed here at one time,” she said. “I felt that it deserved a historical marker so people would know that there was once something significant there.” In November 2005, Gentry began hours of research on the facility, and she contacted the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to apply for a marker. After filling out the necessary paperwork and writing a short essay on why she believed the area deserved special recognition, Gentry was informed in March 2006 that the project had been approved and the marker would be issued. Gentry originally intended for the marker to be a tribute to the immigrant mine workers, such as her grandfather, who toiled in the 306-feet deep mine shaft. But she was informed that the wording would be more generic. “The PHMC explained that they could not dedicate a marker to a group of people,” Gentry said. “They could dedicate one to one person who maybe had historical significance, but not to a group.” The wording on the marker will explain the significance of the area with an ending reference to the immigrants who worked there. Gentry was helped by the Mt. Pleasant Historical Society, the sponsor for the project. “They stepped up to the plate, and they were really instrumental in this project,” she said. “They were really a lot of help, and I appreciate everything that they did.” Mt. Pleasant Historical Society President Richard Snyder is pleased that Gentry used her passion to ensure a fitting commemoration for the area’s history, and he echoed her dedication to remembering those whose sweat built the town. “I think that something should have been done long ago to mark the area,” Snyder said. “And Connie did a fabulous job to see that it finally came through. The coke company and the immigrants should have had this tribute years ago. I am pleased that the historical society was able to be of some assistance in making this marker a reality.” The official dedication of the marker will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday. The marker will be located on State Street, off state Route 819. There will be a short presentation and dedication, featuring area politicians and dignitaries, followed by an invitation-only reception that will held at the Standard Shaft social club.

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