POTTSVILLE, Pa., borough, county-seat of Schuylkill County, on the Schuylkill River, near its source, and on the Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley, the Philadelphia and Reading and the Central of New Jersey railroads, 95 miles northwest of Philadelphia. It was first settled in 1800, incorporated in 1828 and made the county-seat in 1851. It is situated among the Schuylkill anthracite coal fields and is one of the most important mining centres and ship ping points of the region. Its manufacturing interests are also of considerable importance. The total value of products manufactured in 1909 in its 91 industrial establishments amounted to $9,138,000, an increase of 99 per cent since 1899. The capital invested was $13,982,000, and the number of persons employed 3,342, 16 per cent of the total population. Its industrial es tablishments include steel mills, blast furnaces, rolling mills, foundries, planing mills, cotton velvet and silk mills. It was in Pottsville that
anthracite coal was first successfully used in smelting iron ore. Among its more important buildings are the county courthouse and jail, a public hospital and the Pottsville Athenaeum.
The latter contains a library and the borough also has a public library as well as the county law library. There are a public high school, public and parish graded schools and some pri vate educational institutions. The chief execu tive officer of the borough is a burgess, elected for three years; the legislative body is a bor ough council, possessing the power of appoint ing many of the city officers; the city auditor, city treasurer and the school directors, however, are elected by the people. Pop. 20,236.