01/25/2026
~ Centre Square, Orwigsburg (note the first official Schuylkill County Courthouse in this early photo) ~
Cancelling trolley service did not happen very often, but on Tuesday, December 20, 1904 the Orwigsburg trolley was cancelled, due to huge snow drifts, resulting from a particularly severe snowstorm. Schuylkill County & most of Northeast PA experienced a very difficult, cold winter (Hey, just like January 2026).
Trolley service in Schuylkill County, PA, began in 1865 with horse-drawn cars. By 1890 electricity allowed trolleys to transition to faster street-level cars.
Trolleys connected most major Schuylkill County towns, enabling people to travel for both work & pleasure, between towns/cities like Orwigsburg, Pottsville, Schuylkill Haven, Port Carbon, Tamaqua, including resorts like the famous Tumbling Run by the early 20th century. Taverns, inns, church Sunday Schools, families, and social organizations often hosted “Trolley Parties.”
By 1930 it was announced that trolley service would be ending with most trolleys being abandoned & replaced by buses. The end of an era. Many of these trolley cars were (some still are in use) repurposed & utilized for diners, storage, chicken coops, and even cabins or small homes.
