The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company is an anthracite coal mining company headquartered in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., with operations in the areas of Tamaqua, Coaldale, and Lansford.
The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company was a major American transportation and energy company that operated during the 19th century. Founded in 1818, the company was a pioneer in the development of the anthracite coal industry, and was the first to successfully mine and transport the coal from the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania to Philadelphia and other markets. The company was also a leader in the development of the Lehigh Canal, connecting the Lehigh Valley to the Delaware River and beyond.
The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company was incorporated in 1818 by a group of Philadelphia businessmen, led by Josiah White and Erskine Hazard. White and Hazard had been experimenting with the anthracite coal of the Lehigh Valley since 1811, and were the first to successfully mine and transport the coal to Philadelphia. The company built the Lehigh Canal, which was the first major canal in the United States, and was the first to successfully transport anthracite coal to Philadelphia. The company also built the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad, which connected the Lehigh Valley to the Delaware River.
The company's success was due to its innovative use of technology. The Lehigh Canal was the first to use inclined planes to move coal-laden boats up and down steep inclines, and the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad was the first to use a locomotive to transport coal. In addition, the company was the first to use a gravity railroad to move coal from the Lehigh Valley to the Delaware River.
The success of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company helped to create a thriving coal industry in the Lehigh Valley, and helped to spur the industrialization of the United States. The company's innovative use of technology helped to revolutionize the transportation of coal and other goods, and the company's success helped to establish the Lehigh Valley as an important center of industrial activity.