Baggaley, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Baggaley
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Country | United States |
State | Pennsylvania |
County | Westmoreland |
Elevation | 1,047 ft (319 m) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
GNIS feature ID | 1192086 |
Baggaley is a small, interesting place located in Unity Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It's known as an unincorporated community. This means it's a recognized place with people living there, but it doesn't have its own separate local government like a city or a town.
Discovering Baggaley: A Coal Town's Story
Baggaley has a special history because it was once a "coal town." This means the community was built mainly to support a coal mine and the people who worked there. Many homes in Baggaley were built by a company called the Puritan Coke Company. They wanted to provide houses for their employees who worked in the mines.
Baggaley's Mining History
The Puritan Coke Company, based in Latrobe, played a big role in Baggaley's past. They operated a mine and a "coke works" right on the north side of town. A coke works is a place where coal is heated to make a fuel called coke, which was very important for making steel.
The mine and coke works in Baggaley were busy for many years. They operated from 1897 until 1922. This means they were active for about 25 years, providing jobs and shaping the community.
What Remains Today?
Over time, things change. After the mine and coke works closed, the buildings and structures related to them slowly disappeared. In 1994, two authors named Edward Muller and Ronald Carlisle studied the area. They found that there were no buildings left from the old mine or coke works. This shows how much the landscape can change over the years, even though the history of the coal town remains.
Baggaley stands as a quiet reminder of Pennsylvania's rich coal mining past. It tells a story of industry, community, and how towns grew around important resources like coal.