Source: History of Schuylkill County e-book--http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/george-t-george-thornton-fleming/history-of-schuylkill-county-pa-ywe/page-79-history-of-schuylkill-county-pa-ywe.shtml
Coal Dale is a scattered village, almost exclusively of framed buildings. The first dwelling houses were erected in 1846 and were composed of six blocks, two in each, standing were number eight culm banks now are, and known as Bugtown. Houses were erected in 1848 at old Coal Dale, twelve double blocks on the Summit Hill road. New Wales, or New Coal Dale, began to receive attention in 1868 and 1869. The blocks on the line of Schuylkill and Carbon counties were put up in 1870.
The Evangelical church was organized and its chapel completed in 1869. It is connected with the Barnesville circuit.
The Welsh Congregational church of Coal Dale was organized November 20th, 1S71, with thirty members. Its pastor from that time to the present has been Rev. David E. Hughes. The neat framed church was built in 1876, and dedicated in January, 1877. The present membership of the church is 50. The Sunday-school was organized about 1S60, the first superintendent being Rev. Mr. Hughes.
Coal Dale was created a post village in 1S71, with Charles F. Goslie as postmaster, D. E. Hughes taking the place one year later and holding it ever since. Mr. Hughes is a useful man in his community, serving the people as a justice of the peace, postmaster, storekeeper and preacher. Few men wield a better influence than he does among his countrymen.
Gearytown was first brought to notice in 1866. A dwelling was erected in October of that year, and occupied by Richard Boyd. The town was named in honor of the then Governor, John W. Geary. The Bull Run houses were put up by the company in 1864. Shortly after the mines began working the population rapidly increased, and many blocks of houses were built, all by the company.
The Primitive Methodist church. Rev. E. Davis pastor, was organized and St. John's chapel built in 1877, when Rev. Daniel Savage was the pastor. It is a modest framed edifice at the valley and summit cross roads, costing some $'joo.
In Coal Dale and vicinity, Bull Run, Gearytown, Centreville, Spring Tunnel and Dry Hollow there are about 355 dwelling houses, 380 in the whole township, and about 370 families. Over 100 dwelling houses have been built since 1869.
The merchants in Coal Dale are W. S. Hobart & Co.,(company store), Thomas Downs, E. G. Zern, and T. E. Powell. Since 1873 the Central Railroad of New Jersey has run regular passenger trains east and west each day, and the old stage line is abandoned.
The Mollie Maguires ran riot for many years through the Coal Dale end of the district, and in common with other sections for a time the law had no force; but the rightful state of things returned in 1875, with the check brought to bear upon the organization of murderers, and peace and order are now the rule, and not the exception.
Note: Re; Spring Tunnel. Thanks to Ruth West who confirmed the location of Spring Tunnel: "Spring Tunnel was up on top of South Mnt. A little east of #9 shaft. My grandfather was mine foreman up there in the 20th. Hard to find. It's covered with sag piles." (Important to note that #9 shaft is no to confused with the same location as #9 mine.)
