”I should be able to raise hell again”: How the Coxe Estates Navigated Energy Transitions and Strip-Mining Regulations in the Anthracite Region, 1945–1968

Abstract: From 1945–1968, the Coxe Estates, a major Pennsylvania coal landowning company, fought to ensure the anthracite industry’s place in Pennsylvania’s changing energy economy. The estates navigated changing legislative, economic, and energy landscapes by advocating against strengthening surface mining regulations. The estates thought these regulations would endanger the continuity of coal mining, which had defined central-eastern and northeastern Pennsylvania’s economy, culture, and politics for a century. Additionally, the estates sought to profit off oil, gas, coal refuse, uranium, and fire clay extraction, allowing them to navigate and advocate against unfavorable regulatory regimes while exploring less-regulated forms of extraction.