Centralia PA
The last few homes in Centralia, PA are being bulldozed.

Centralia, Pennsylvania was once a happy town with bustling energy but an underground coal fire reduced the borough to a ghost town. Here’s a look at the event which followed the underground fire in Centralia, PA.

Centralia, PA – Early History

Centralia, PA was first opened for development in 1854 when a civil and mining engineer moved here. The town was initially known as Centerville. But in 1865 its name was changed to Centralia, as there was already one Centerville in Pennsylvania and the Post Office wouldn’t allow another one.

Coal mining was the major employment in the town. The mining continued until 1960s as major business later moved out of Centralia.

Two railroads served transportation to Centralia, PA.

Centralia, PA once had five hotels, more than twenty salons, seven churches, theaters, bank, post office, and more than fourteen stores.

Centralia, PA – Mine Fire

In 1962, a fire broke out in an underground coal mine which eventually made Centralia, PA unlivable. It is said that the fire started when a local fire company was hired to clean the landfill of the town. The firemen put the dump on fire and extinguished it after letting it burn for a certain time. The theory suggests that the fire wasn’t put out completely and it kept burning underneath the
town. The fire then spread to other abandoned coal mines under Centralia, PA. The state government made several attempts to extinguish the underground fire throughout the 60s and 70s, but all efforts were unsuccessful. The continuous coal burning resulted in the release of lethal gases which made the atmosphere dangerous for the locals of Centralia, PA. Locals became more terrified by the consequent incidents. In 1981, a young boy fell into a 4-ft wide subsidence when the ground beneath his feet suddenly opened.

Centralia, PA – Now a Ghost Town

In 1984, the U.S. federal government started a $42 million relocation program for the locals of Centralia, PA. Most of the residents relocated to nearby counties after accepting the buyout offers of the government. Today very few residents are left in the town. Most of the buildings in Centralia, PA have been claimed by nature. The postcode of Centralia, PA was revoked by U.S. postal services in 2002. Recently, the state officials have announced to demolish the town completely, forcing even the last few residents to leave the area.

Centralia, PA is now a history!

Tags | centralia pa, centralia pennsylvania, coal fire, ghost town, happy town, underground coal