Mountain Information

Josiah White and Erskine Hazzard, pioneers in the anthracite coal mining industry, founded the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. These two entrepreneurs created the world’s first iron-wire suspension bridge as well as an effective river navigation system to transport large amounts of coal to Philadelphia. By 1840, the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company employed over 1,000 men in a dozen or more manufacturing establishments. At its peak capacity in 1919 the company had 11,000 employees and was producing 5 million tons of coal per year.

Around 1942, employees built the Split Rock Club on the shores of Lake Harmony as a company retreat. The club consisted of Split Rock Lodge and the adjoining Hazzard ski slope. When the lodge was sold in 1947, Hazzard ski slope became known as Big Boulder Ski Area. This was the first commercial ski resort in Pennsylvania, and it was here that snowmaking was first used successfully in a commercial application.