The high-grade bituminous coal mine was first opened about 1889 by the owners of the property, who later sold it to a commercial operator. By 1908 fifty men and fifteen mules were employed. The mine closed in 1953 and had been virtually forgotten when municipal authorities purchased the land for development as a park. The entrance was eventually rediscovered, and once the state mine inspector gave his approval, the mine opened to the public in 1962. Tours in open, battery-powered “man trip” cars, are led by retired miners and offer revealing glimpses into the workaday world of coal miners.