ERIC MARK / PUBLISHED: JULY 17, 2016

 

ASHLEY — Philip Voystock raised the flag at the first Anthracite Heritage Day celebration in Miners’ Memorial Park on a sunny Saturday morning.

More than 60 years ago, Voystock toiled in near-darkness in a coal mine not far from the park, built on the grounds of the former Huber Breaker, off South Main Street in Ashley.

“I’m the only guy left who worked in the mines here,” said Voystock, when asked why he received the honor of raising the flag at the ceremony attended by about two dozen mining and history enthusiasts.

The 89-year-old Freeland native and World War II veteran “got out of the Army in ’46 and went right into the mines,” he said.

Voystock enjoyed his five years working in an anthracite mine in Ashley from 1948-53 despite the long hours and harsh conditions, he said.

Mining could be dangerous, Voystock said. He proved his point by showing off a scar above his left eye.

“I got covered up with a fall of coal,” he said. “It was rough.”

Despite the danger and scars, Voystock worked in the mining industry for decades to provide for his family and five children, he said.

Improvements to Miners’ Memorial Park since his last visit there impressed him, Voystock said.

He also praised the lobbying efforts that led state lawmakers to designate a day each year to honor coal miners and their heritage.

“It’s wonderful that this ever happened here,” he said.

A woman who took part in those lobbying efforts agreed.

“We couldn’t save the breaker but this history will always be a part of us,” said Mary Ann Lepa of the Huber Breaker Preservation Society.

That group spearheaded efforts to build a park near the site where the massive Huber coal breaker once stood, before it was demolished two years ago.

A troupe of re-enactors from the Patchtown Players in Drifton turned up in costume, sporting authentic mining gear from the late 19th century, including oil-wick lamps attached to mining helmets.

Troupe member Robbie Flowers said he had personal experience in the coal mines. He worked as a miner in Schuylkill County as a young man, and his grandfather was also a coal miner.

“It’s in my blood,” he said.

The preservation society plans to celebrate Anthracite Heritage Day on the third Saturday of each July, members said.

Voystock, as he walked around the park unaided and chatted with mining buffs who treated him as a local hero, promised he would be back.