 In 1818, anthracite coal deposits were discovered in nearby Beaver Meadows by prospectors Nathaniel Beach and Tench Coxe.This caught the attention of railroad developers in Philadelphia.A young engineer from New York (named Ariovistus "Ario" Pardee) was hired to survey the topography of Beaver Meadows and report the practicality of extending a railroad from the Lehigh River Canal (in Jim Thorpe) to Beaver Meadows.