The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
stopped to see the Coal Miners' Statue
in Minersville, Pennsylvania
October 5, 2014

This monument is to honor the Anthracite Miners of Schuylkill County - past, present, and future, and to commemorate in a very special way the many men and boys who lost their lives in the mines.

The Miners' Statue was placed here by the Rotary Club of Minersville, Pennsylvania. The project committee was chaired by Joseph Walacavage who donated the land and whose fondness for his native region and loyalty to his fellow miners were the inspiration for this monument. Mr. Walacavage was born on March 12, 1930, and died on July 2, 1997, just four days after witnessing the unveiling and dedication of this statue.

The Miners' Statue was created by Pottsville native and sculptor Jim Ponter, who described the project as a labor of love. Mr. Ponter is a 1941 graduate of Pottsville High School. At the time he created the statue he served as Senior Sculptor at the Franklin Mint in Media, Pennsylvania.The statue was cast in Chester, Pennsylvania, at LARAN Bronze Company, owned by Larry and Randy Welker.

Below: The view of the Coal Miners' Statue as seen from the gas station.