Sharp Mountain facts for kids
Sharp Mountain or Sharp Ridge is a long, narrow mountain in eastern central Pennsylvania, United States. It's part of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, which are like giant wrinkles in the Earth's surface.
This mountain is split on its eastern side by the Little Schuylkill River. This river creates a gap near a town called Tamaqua and separates Sharp Mountain from another ridge, the Nesquehoning Ridge. Sharp Mountain is right in the middle of Pennsylvania's Anthracite Coal Region. Water from its western side flows into the Schuylkill River, and water from its eastern side flows into the Little Schuylkill River, which is a smaller river that eventually joins the Schuylkill River.
| Sharp Mountain stretches south and west from the Tamaqua gap, where the Schuylkill River, Little Schuylkill River, and Panther Creek all meet. | |
About Sharp Mountain
The areas around Sharp Mountain and Nesquehoning Mountain are mostly covered in thick forests with steep slopes. This type of land is typical for the Anthracite Upland region.
Discovery of Coal
Sharp Mountain is famous for being one of the first places where coal was found in this region. In 1788, a hunter exploring the area reportedly discovered coal here. A few years later, another hunter found more coal about 5 or 6 miles east of Tamaqua, in what is now Summit Hill, Pennsylvania.
This discovery was very important! Because of these finds, the Lehigh Coal Mining Company was started in 1792. This company began digging up and using the valuable coal from the area.
Impact of Mining
Over the years, a lot of the land in the valley northwest of Sharp Mountain has been changed by coal mining. When miners dig for coal, they often create large open pits. Rainwater and runoff from these mining areas often collect in these abandoned pits. This means less dirty water flows into the local creeks and streams, which helps keep the natural waterways a bit cleaner.
