“I’ll probably be one of the next ones to go,” says Lee Goldthwaite, 79, the caretaker of the Sheffield Township cemetery, as he walks through the tombstones.
Sheffield, the small Warren County town that sits along the edge of the Allegheny National Forest, shares a similar story to other rural Pennsylvania towns as the number of deaths outpace births and population loss accelerates. The town, which once was a hub for timber had the largest sawmill east of the Mississippi River, has lost nearly a quarter of the population it had 20 years ago. Many expect the decline of small-town life to be a topic in this presidential election.
Along Main Street, few businesses remain. The local bank and liquor store have closed, the town’s daycare shuttered as the number of children dwindled to the single digits. The local ambulance service was discontinued, and the town’s beloved Johnny Appleseed Festival doesn’t have enough volunteers or money to continue this year. When asked if the town has a doctor, Goldthwaite points through the cemetery. “The last doctor we had is buried right up the hill,” he says. While he sees the town’s decline firsthand, Goldthwaite isn’t ready to give up, “we’re gonna make it work,” he says.
Published in @washingtonpost.
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A Coal Mine Opens /
A coal miner holds a lump of metallurgical coal from the Middle Kittanning coal seam on May 18, 2017 in Friedens, Somerset, Pa. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
Coal Miner Russ Lambert, 61, of Berlin, Pa., who has been mining for over 37 years, poses for a portrait on May 18, 2017 in Friedens, Somerset, Pa. Lambert, a shift foreman, who previously has been mining in Corsa's Quecreek Mine will be working in Corsa's new mine, the Acosta Deep Mine. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
Robert Bottegal, head engineer of the Acosta Deep Mine for Corsa Coal, stands near the future drift entrance off the high wall of the new mine on May 18, 2017 in Friedens, Somerset, Pa. The new mine, which is expected to open early June, will create 70 new jobs and should produce 400,000 tons of metallurgical coal a year. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
Robert Bottegal points to a map showing the Acosta Deep Mine in Friedens, Somerset County, Pa., on March 22, 2017. Justin Merriman | for the Financial Times
A coal miner works at Corsa Coal's Acosta Deep Mine on June 8, 2017 in Friedens, Pennsylvania. Justin Merriman/Getty Images
Workers stand in the pit as construction continues on Corsa Coal's Acosta Deep Mine on May 18, 2017 in Friedens, Somerset, Pa. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
Coal Miner Russ Lambert, 61, of Berlin, Pa., who has been mining for over 37 years, yells to another miner as they work on the construction of Corsa Coal's new Acosta Deep Mine on May 18, 2017 in Friedens,Somerset, Pa. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
Coal Miner Joe Kostyk, 28, of Sidman, Pa., works on the construction of the drift entrance of Corsa Coal's new Acosta Deep Mine on May 18, 2017 in Friedens, Somerset, Pa. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
A rig drills holes for explosive charges at the Corsa Coal's new Acosta Deep Mine in Friedens, Somerset County, Pa., on March 22, 2017. Justin Merriman for the Financial Times
Coal miners works on the future drift entrance of Corsa Coal's Acosta Deep Mine on May 18, 2017 in Friedens, Somerset, Pa. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
Robert Bottegal stands on a platform above the pit of the new Acosta Deep Mine on Monday, June 5, 2017 in Friedens, Somerset County, Pa. The platform was constructed for the mine's grand opening ceremony that will be held on Thursday. Justin Merriman for The Washington Post
A coal truck drives past a Trump sign on May 19, 2017 on Million Dollar Highway in Jenner Township, Pa. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
George Critchfield, 59, owner of Critchfield Lumber, stands at his mill on May 19, 2017 in Jenner Township, Pa. The new Corsa Coal Corporation mine has purchased lumber from Critchfield's lumber mill, which borders the new mine site. He is excited about the mine's opening and feels the mine has saved his business. "It's a trickle down effect," he says. "That's what you need, good paying jobs instead of McDonalds and Walmart." Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
A sign for the Coal Miner's Cafe sits along U.S. Route 30 on May 18, 2017 in Jennerstown, Pa. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
Betty Rhoads, who owns the Coal Miner's Cafe with her husband, John, sits at one of the restaurant's tables on May 18, 2017 in Jennerstown, Pa. "I've seen the good day's of coal," says Rhoads; her father owned several pick and shovel coal mines. "I can remember when there was mines all over these hills," she says. While she's not optimistic about the coal mining industry, Rhoads is happy about the opening of the Acosta Deep Mine. "I want every mine that can reopen to reopen," she says. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
George Barron, 78, stands along Main Street on May 18, 2017 in Acosta, Pa. Barron, having lived in Acosta since 1962, has seen the coal industry come and go. The Somerset Coal Company opened the Acosta mines in 1905 and established the town two years later. Corsa Coal has opened the Acosta Deep Mine just up the road from Acosta. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
Edward Popernack, 84, who worked in coal mines for over 40 years, poses for a portrait at the Coal Miner's Cafe on Monday, June 5, 2017 in Jennerstown, Pa. Popernack's son, Mark, was one of the coal miners rescued from Quecreek Mine after being trapped for 77 hours in July 2002. Justin Merriman for The Washington Post
George Barron, 78, right, watches as Barry Custer, 64, cleans his lawn tractor with his wife, Robbie, 62, and granddaughter Emma Grigg, 7, at his home on May 18, 2017 in Acosta, Pa. "If they put coal miners back to work that be great," Custer, a coal miner with AK Coal Resources, says speaking of the opening of Corsa Coal's new Acosta Deep Mine. "This town was built on coal," he continues, having worked as a coal miner since he was 18. Custer's wife, Robbie's cousin Mark Popernack was one of the 9 miners rescued from the Quecreek Mine in 2002. Justin Merriman for The Wall Street Journal
A person wears a coal pin at the grand opening of Corsa Coal's Acosta Deep Mine on June 8, 2017 in Friedens, Pennsylvania. Justin Merriman/Getty Images
President Donald Trump delivers a recorded message at the grand opening of Corsa Coal's Acosta Deep Mine on June 8, 2017 in Friedens, Pennsylvania. Justin Merriman/Getty Images
The entrance to the Corsa Coal's Acosta Deep Mine on June 8, 2017 in Friedens, Pennsylvania. Justin Merriman/Getty Images
For the last several months, I've been covering Corsa Coal's new coal mine, the Acosta Deep Mine, in Friedens, Somerset County, Pennsylvania as well as the surrounding communities. The mine, which began production in June, created 70 news jobs and is expected to produce over 400,000 tons of metallurgical coal a year. You can read about the mine in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Financial Times, and view more images at Getty Images.