The Forgotten Charcoal Burners of the Middle Susquehanna Valley
Charcoal burners, commonly known as colliers, worked deep in Pennsylvania's forests, converting enormous quantities of wood into the fuel needed to manufacture iron. They often lived in temporary huts near their charcoal hearths, sometimes for much of the charcoal-making season. Charcoal was particularly suitable for early iron-making because it was rich in carbon, burned at high temperatures, and contained relatively few impurities.
October 12, 2026
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Terry Diener
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Additional Credits:
Sources: National Park Service, Hopewell Furnace National Site; Counting Colliers: A Demographic Profile of the Forgotten Charcoal Makers of Clarion County, Pennsylvania, 1850–1880, Charles E. Williams, 2020; History of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by the Columbia County Historical Society and Commissioners of Columbia County, Edwin M. Barton, 1964; The Wellsboro Gazette Combined with Mansfield Advertiser, July 11, 1888 Page 01; Altoona Tribune, February 12, 1932, Page 07; The Newport News-Sun, March 25, 1954, Page 02; Photo: ExplorePAhistory.com, Courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Archives
