Chris Murley used a hatchet to split a red and orange cord on a plank of wood.
"Cutting this fire line, we open this mine," said Murley, the founder of Underground Miners.
Murley and members of his nonprofit organization are dedicated to preserving the region’s Anthracite Coal mining heritage. They officially reopened the Brooks Mine in Nay Aug Park on Friday, Aug. 11. Originally created as a model coal mine, it first opened in 1902. It closed in 1975.
Bob Gattens said the region's mining history shaped Scranton and the towns around the city.
“We're going to reinvent history here and bring it back to life by opening this model coal mine that's here," said Gattens, chairman of the Scranton Municipal Recreational Authority, which manages Nay Aug Park.
A long dark and low corridor goes back about 160 feet to the end of the mine. Wood reinforcements the size of small tree trunks line a track to the back. The Underground Miners hung signs pointing out two different coal veins: Dunmore No. 2 and Dunmore No. 3. Inside the Drift Mine, inky black veins of coal are separated by grayish rock.
A group of around 15 volunteers from Underground Miners began restoring the mine in early 2022.
Scott Kerowski was one of them. He hopes that people realize what their ancestors went through while working in the mines. Being in the mines makes him think of his grandfather and great-grandfather.
"Northeastern PA is here because of that," he said. "And a lot of it's kind of fallen by the wayside."
The mine cost $1,800 to build in 1902, which is equivalent to about half a million dollars today. The Underground Miners restored it through $30,000 in donations.
Murley said it's satisfying to finish the project.
"And be able to let ... families just walk in and see the history of the area," he said.
Underground Miners is hosting a grand reopening on Saturday, Aug. 12, and Sunday, Aug. 13. Touring the Brooks Mine is free but a donation is suggested.
A volunteer from Underground Miners will be at the park each Saturday through the fall from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
