Minersville Historical Photo & Artifact Collection
At Kat’s, local history is part of the dining experience. Our Minersville Historical Photo & Artifact Collection features historic photos, maps, artwork, coal-region images, and community memories connected to Minersville, Schuylkill County, and Pennsylvania’s Anthracite region.
The collection is on display inside Kat’s Café & Restaurant at 236 Sunbury Street in Minersville, Pennsylvania, where guests can enjoy Slavic comfort food, Polish-inspired dishes, handmade pierogies, homemade soups, authentic old-world cuisine, and classic Coal Region favorites while exploring pieces of local history.
Local business • Family restaurant • Minutes from Pottsville
Historical Collection
Step inside Kat’s Café & Restaurant and discover a piece of Minersville history. Our historical display brings together local photos, maps, artwork, and artifacts that highlight the people, businesses, industries, and landmarks that shaped Minersville and the surrounding Schuylkill County region.
From coal mining and railroads to local sports teams, former businesses, maps, and community landmarks, the collection offers a look at the stories that helped define Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region.
On display at Kat’s
The collection is available to view at Kat’s Café & Restaurant on Sunbury Street (Route 901) in Minersville. Guests can browse the display while enjoying homemade meals, country-style dishes, Slavic favorites, old-world delicacies, handmade pierogies, soups, halupki, blintzes, classic comfort food, and more.
Whether you are a lifelong Coal Region resident, a returning visitor, or someone exploring Schuylkill County for the first time, the display offers a meaningful way to connect with the area’s past.
About the collection
This historical collection includes images and artifacts connected to Minersville, nearby coal-region communities, local businesses, rail transportation, coal mining, athletics, and everyday life in Schuylkill County.
Many of the items are displayed courtesy of the Minersville Historical Society and local contributors. Together, they help preserve the stories of the people and places that made Minersville what it is today.
Browse the collection
Community & sports
1949 Battlin’ Miners Football Team
This black-and-white team photo commemorates the Minersville Battlin’ Miners football team and its first Eastern Conference Class Championship in 1949. The image is a proud reminder of local athletics and community spirit.
Early Minersville Baseball Team
This early 20th-century baseball team photo includes Carl E. Ulmer, a notable local player whose name remains connected to Minersville baseball history. The image reflects the long tradition of local sports in the community.
Local businesses & landmarks
Goodwill Ambulance, March 17, 1941
This early 20th-century baseball team photo includes Carl E. Ulmer, a notable local player whose name remains connected to Minersville baseball history. The image reflects the long tradition of local sports in the community.
Way Mart Store
This early 20th-century baseball team photo includes Carl E. Ulmer, a notable local player whose name remains connected to Minersville baseball history. The image reflects the long tradition of local sports in the community.
The Company Store
Located at the southeast corner of Front and North Streets, the Company Store was once part of Minersville’s local business landscape. The site later became connected with garment manufacturing.
First National Bank
This historic photo shows the former First National Bank on Sunbury Street in Minersville. The building stands as part of the borough’s commercial and architectural history.
View from the Vault
This mid-1960s view from inside the First National Bank vault shows the bank lobby from a unique perspective. It captures a piece of everyday business life in Minersville during that era.
The Club House
This vintage color artwork highlights The Club House, a former Sunbury Street restaurant once advertised as one of Schuylkill County’s finest restaurants. The piece connects Kat’s Café to a longer history of dining and hospitality in Minersville.
Women of the 1950s
This image shows garment workers outside the H.D. Bob Company factory in Minersville during the 1950s. The factory employed many local women and reflects the role of textile and garment work in the community after World War II.
Railroads, coal & industry
Minersville Station
This pencil rendering of Minersville Station recalls a time when rail service played an important role in local transportation and industry. Railroads were closely tied to the growth of Pennsylvania’s coal-region towns.
Way of the Boss
Created by local artist Jack Flynn, Way of the Boss depicts a coal miner working underground. The piece honors the labor, skill, and risk associated with anthracite mining.
Blackwood Coal Breaker
This black-and-white image shows the Blackwood Coal Breaker near Branchdale and Newton, Pennsylvania. Coal breakers were a major part of anthracite mining operations and remain a powerful symbol of the region’s industrial past.
Early Coal Miner
This drawing by local artist John A. “Jack” Flynn depicts an early coal miner. It is one of several pieces in the collection that connect local art with the history of mining in Schuylkill County.
Maps, ledgers & local records
Minersville 1889
This 1889 illustrated map of Minersville shows the borough, its streets, industrial sites, and prominent residences. Historic maps like this help visitors visualize how the community grew and changed over time.
Ledger of a Builder, August 2, 1905
This ledger page from contractor and builder George Ball records building-supply purchases from 1905. Documents like this preserve small but important details about local construction, business, and daily life.
See the collection in person
The best way to experience the collection is to visit Kat’s yourself. Enjoy a meal, explore the display, and take in the local stories preserved through these photos, maps, drawings, and artifacts.
Pair your visit with homestyle comfort food. Pick from any one of Kat’s authentic old-world dishes or classic American favorites.