The Slate Industry
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by Jill Wald and John Pacovich
In tracing the history of Pen Argyl, we find that it is based on the discovery and manufacturing of slate. Slate had a great impact on the economy as well as the population of the small towns of Northampton County.
One may wonder, why is slate so important? Slate is a mineral that can be placed in a class by itself. This earthly material does not expand nor contract
when weather conditions changes. Its most important characteristic is that it is virtually fire-proof. Compared to other materials, slate is easily harvested from the land. It can easily be separated into sheets and cut. Many of our founding fathers along with other members of the community found their lives centered around the gray rock. Generation after generation came to work in the quarries, and many of them would die there.
There are varying stories of how the first quarry in Pen Argyl was started. The first story was told from the point of view of a Welshman. Apparently in 1854 a Welshman, from Chapman Quarries, went on a hunting trip in the Blue Mountains. While he was hunting, he shot a rabbit in some empty fields. The rabbit fell into a hole that was open because of heavy rains. These heavy rains had exposed slate. When the hunter reached the rabbit he noticed the slate. He began to prospect there, but it was others who actually opened the quarry hole.
The second story told, is probably a more accurate one. Instead of the alleged Welshman, it is believed that Richard Chapman and Joseph Kellow were on a hunting trip along the Blue Mountains. Apparently they spotted slate coming out of one end of the United States quarry hole. It is said that they probably did a little digging to realize that there was enough slate to start a quarry. Whichever story is true, the first quarry opened in Pen Argyl was called the United States Quarry. It was opened in 1854, by Joseph Kellow. Kellow was the same man who later opened the Pennsylvania Slate Quarry. Quarry workers risked their lives every day. The winters were the worst problem. At times the quarries had to be shut down in December, near the fifteenth, and then reopened on the first of April . The cold was so extreme that ice formed on the sides of the quarries. The quarry workers could not go the work until someone either chopped off the ice or shot it off. If production could be delayed, workers waited until the sun melted the ice. These harsh conditions caused several "first" accidents. The first fatality happened February 16, 1866, with the death of Louis Sandt. The first drowning occurred on June 17, 1883. William Powell drowned in the Pennsylvania Slate Quarry. His body wasn't recovered until July 14. When the body was recovered there were approximately 2,000 people gathered at the quarry. This was more than the whole population of Pen Argyl at that time. Until 1920, slate quarries were abundant in the small town of Pen Argyl. Many of these companies constructed row houses and company stores for their workers. In the winter months, workers bought food and clothing on credit. Most of the workers were Cornish and Welsh men who came from England. They arrived in Pen Argyl, in small, sporadic groups. Later, men from Italy, Germany, and Greece came too. Many of the people that came to the "New World" were recruited by the owners of the Pen Argyl quarries. The owners traveled once a year to quarries in England. There they encouraged experienced workers to make the trip back with them. Often those migrant workers traveled the entire distance on cattle ships in hopes of a better life.
When Pen Argyl was officially chartered, elections were held. The likely candidates were those who owned and operated the quarries. The owners of the quarries became the economic pillars of Pen Argyl society. After World War II, the slate industry began to decline. It seemed that slate was no longer needed. Instead builders and contractors chose to use asbestos. The slate quarries located in the entire Slate Belt were relatively the same size. The deposits found in the Pen Argyl area were from both the Albion and Diamond veins that trailed throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. Just like other rocks and minerals, slate took a tremendous amount of pressure and time to form. These two variables form three different types of slate: hard, soft, and sandy. There were several slate quarries in Pen Argyl alone. The most commonly known quarries were United States Quarries, Albion, Diamond, Acme, and Doney. Some other quarries were Hercules, Phoenix, and Parson Brothers.
Several products were made of slate. Some of the more common products were roofing shingles, tiles, blackboards, and tombstones. Slate was also used to make clocks, fire places, walls, sidewalks, and bricks. Artists also used slate as a type of canvas for their engravings.
In October of 1914, Mr. James Munro had a different idea for working with slate. He put a new kind of machinery in the quarries. The machines shaped the slate into tile. Then the slate was be put on tar paper with asphalt and used to cover flat roofs. Then a cover of flexible, fire-proof stone pavement or concrete was put over top. In this way, the quarries were able to use slate that was previously considered waste. It also reduced the number of slate tiles needed on a roof. Of course an important part of slate history was the "Big Slate Deal". When people like John S. Jackson and others bought Blair Quarries in 1964, they completed the biggest slate deal in the county. They completed the transactions in New York City with a price that probably reached the half million mark. This deal included several quarries which are follows: Richard Jackson Slate Co., the Pen Argyl Valley Slate Co., Jackson Bros., Quintus Sandt & Co.,United States Slate Co., William Masters, and the Pennsylvania Slate Quarry. They also purchased some undeveloped lands. This "Big Slate Deal" provided a lot of capital for the borough. It meant opening new quarries as well as expanding old quarries. It made Pen Argyl the largest slate producing town in the slate regions. The industry took hard work and faith to build up the slate industry. It needed adventurers, who were willing to leave their homeland and live in a strange place. Most of all, it needed visionaries of the future.
Pen Argyl History | Keller Massacre | Carousel | Slate Industry | Slate Shanties | Leo Godshalk, Quarry Worker | Michael Curcio Interview | Food of the Slate Belt | Maryella Correll Interview
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