The town of Erie has been awarded a State Historical Fund grant of around $10,000 to support better documentation of its historic Eagle Mine site.
The grant will fund archival research and a historic resource survey focused on the remaining above-ground features “associated with the mine’s final period of operation,” according to Parks & Recreation Director Luke Bolinger.
The Eagle Mine, northwest of the I-25 and Erie Parkway interchange, operated from 1939 to 1978, according to the town. It “represents the last chapter of coal mining in Erie,” Bolinger said, with “limited but meaningful structural remnants still visible on site.”
According to the town’s website, by 1960, most coal mines were closed around Erie. The effort to better document the Eagle Mine ensures that Erie’s industrial heritage is preserved, even as the physical remnants continue to age, Bolinger added.
The town is currently awaiting execution of the formal grant agreement from the state before work can begin. Once the agreement is finalized, staff will coordinate with preservation consultants to initiate the fieldwork and the reporting process.