 Ten years afterward it had increased to 239,290 tons, in the year 1859 to 554,774 tons, and in 1873 to 1,787,205 tons.The mining industry was the catalyst for mass immigration to Schuylkill County in the 19th and 20th centuries.As mines became more numerous – by 1846 there were 110 operators in the region and 142 collieries in Schuylkill County - and more complex - pumping (in 1846 there were 35 collieries below water level), mechanical breakers, steam locomotives it became more labor-intensive; not just for accomplishing mining tasks but also to support the peripheral industries related to mining.