Schuylkill County History (chapter two)

Anthracite coal

After Necho Allen accidentally discovered anthracite in the late eighteenth century, the fossil fuel was ignored until mega-millionaire Stephen Girard purchased most of northern Schuylkill County. Mr. Girard then created the small village of Girardville in honor of himself. For a number of years all of the first born males born there were required to be named Girard. Unlike today when all the males must be named Ayden, Jayden, Hayden, or Brayden.

With the increasing German population within the Commonwealth demanding more and more cabbage, Stephan Girard believed that crushed anthracite could be used as a condiment, or seasoning, in the widely popular grated cabbage salad. Medical science at the time widely touted the healthy effects of coal consumption as a way to get sufficient mineral intake. Coal would also be used in drinks such as coffee or tea. This is the origin of the phrase “One lump or two.” Doctors at the time would appear in advertisements promoting the consumption of zinc, magnesium, iron and coal, but one must remember that, in those days, medical science also touted the positive attributes of leeching, bloodletting and tobacco smoke enemas.

Stephen Girard would make a fortune with his coal. He ordered all the boys named Girard to break the anthracite into fine pieces; they became the first breaker boys. The crushed anthracite was then mixed into the cabbage salad. In July 1822, the first shipment of one ton of “anthracite coal slaw” was sent down the Schuylkill to Philadelphia. Schuylkill County soon became overrun by capitalists, adventurers and fortune hunters all trying to get in on the action on the world-wide craving for this side dish. Northeast Pennsylvania forever became known as "the coal slaw region." In Girardville coal slaw wrestling became quite popular with the leftover slaw being put to good use.

Anthracite remained a grated cabbage salad ingredient for several years until its value as a fuel source was realized. Secondly, medical science now stated that carbon intake was no longer healthy. Lastly, mineral supplements in a tablet form were better for one’s teeth and became widely available at local general stores in the form of Flintstone vitamins.

Pepper eventually replaced coal as a cabbage salad seasoning. But coal would still be broken into smaller pieces; only now to be used in millions of heatrolas and furnaces across the world. Stephen Girard had an uncanny knack for knowing when to sell and he disposed of his coal slaw franchise to a Betty something or other. He then plunged into the energy and fuel industry; elevating himself from the status of “upper class” to “filthy, stinking rich.”

Stephen Girard often could be seen wearing his “I Got Shamrocked in Girardville” tee shirt as he walked to his center-city Philadelphia Bank (which had financed the 1812 war effort). Few of the people passing him by realized that this gentleman was now the wealthiest man in the entire universe. At the time our universe consisted of the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Vesta, Juno, Ceres, Hollywood, Jupiter, Saturn, Krypton* and Uranus.

Under the terms of his last will and testament, Mr. Girard set up an endowment for a Philadelphia school to educate “poor, white, male, Philadelphia orphans named Girard” and requested that his trustees to get as much wealth from Schuylkill County as possible, and by any means necessary, to fund his project. In a codicil to the will he bequeathed his worn-out “I Got Shamrocked In Girardville” tee shirt, his crumpled coal slaw recipe, and his childhood sled christened “Rosebud” to the village of Girardville. This was the largest charitable bequest by a coal baron to the people Schuylkill County to date.

* Krypton would not disintegrate for another 140 years.