Centralia: Ghost Town on Fire

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Imagine living in a town that is on fire, where the ground bubbles and boils, and life consuming sinkholes appear suddenly. In 1984, the US Government ordered a total evacuation of the town on the heels of a gas station explosion and several children having been eaten by sinkholes. Yet, 5 people still live amongst the poisonous gas and constant threat of danger. This is one interesting and unique story and its legend survives in pilgrimages and popular culture.

First, here is the timeline of the infamous town of Centralia. Centralia was founded in 1749 when a parcel of land was bought by Colonial agents from a Native American tribe for £500. The land exchanged several times from there:

1770: Colonial settlers surveyed and explored the area
1793: Robert Morris, Revolutionary War hero and signer of the Declaration of Independence bought the land
1798: Morris declared bankruptcy, was sent to debtors prison, and turned the land over to the bank
1830: French sea captain, Stephen Girard, bought the land at an auction in Philadelphia for $30,000 because of his interest in anthracite coal in the area
1832: Jonathan Faust opened the Bull’s Head Tavern, which gave the town its name
1842: Locust Mining Coal and Iron Company purchased the land around Bull’s Head
1842: Alexander Rea of Locust Mountain Coal and Iron relocated his family to Bull’s Head and began planning a town, which he named Centralia
1854: Mine Run Railroad was completed and large scale coal mining began
1856: Locust Mine and Coal Ridge Mine opened for operations
1860: Hazeldell Colliery began operations
1862: Centralia officially opened
1866: The Borough of Centralia was incorporated
1868: Alexander Rea was murdered in his buggy on the road to Centralia from Mount Carmel by a gang of Molly McGuires
1890: The population peaks at 2,761 and had 5 hotels, 27 saloons, 7 churches, 2 theaters, 1 bank, a post office, 14 general and grocery stores
1917: Production began to decline due to workforce participation in WWI and new forms of energy
1929: The stock market crash caused Lehigh Valley Coal Company to close 5 mines which cause bootleg mining in the area
1960: In the early 1960s all remaining companies closed
1962: The Centralia Coal fire began
1966: Rail service ended
1979: Surface problems began with the explosion of the gas station and sinkholes. Carbon Monoxide levels are critical
1980: The population declined to 1,012
1983: Congress allocated $42 million for Centralia relocation
1992: Governor Ben Casey invoked eminent domain and lawsuits began
2002: The US Postal Service discontinued Centralia’s zip code
2005: Pennsylvania ended the relocation contract
2006: 16 homes are left in Centralia
2009: 11 homes are left in Centralia: Governor Ed Randall began formal evictions of the remaining residents and more legal efforts began
2010: 5 homes remain in Centralia: near by Byrnesville is required to be abandoned due to the extension of the fire to the town
2011: A Federal judge refused to issue an injunction to stop the condemnation of the remaining homes
2012 A Commonwealth court concluded that the taking of the homes cannot be reopened since its purpose for the condemnation of properties no longer exists
2013 the remaining 7 residents settled their law which stated that the condemnation was no longer needed since the fire had moved and the air quality had improved to the point that it was the same as the town of Lancaster. They received a total of $349, 500 in compensation
2020: Pagniotti enterprises closed old route 61 used by tourists due to Covid

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	1,342	—
1880	1,886	40.5%
1890	2,761	46.4%
1900	2,048	−25.8%
1910	2,429	18.6%
1920	2,336	−3.8%
1930	2,446	4.7%
1940	2,449	0.1%
1950	1,986	−18.9%
1960	1,435	−27.7%
1970	1,165	−18.8%
1980	1,017	−12.7%
1990	63	−93.8%
2000	21	−66.7%
2010	10	−52.4%
2020 (est.)	11	10.0%
Sources:^[7]^[37]^[38]^[39]

So, what is left of Centralia? Not much, I found some pictures since my trip to the site was derailed by Hurricane Ida and the subsequent flooding. I plan another attempt and will update you on Centralia. In April 2020, Pagnotti Enterprises, who owns Route 61 and the adjacent land, filled the graffitied road with dirt, trees, and grass. The road is now obscured and state police still continue to monitor for trespassers. There are quite a few YouTube documentaries and films. Here are a couple: