Take a glimpse at a village frozen in time. Founded in 1854, Eckley is a planned 19th century coal mining town. Known as “patch towns,” mining companies often built industrial communities to house their employees near the collieries, or mining operations, for which they worked. These communities provided mining families with the basic necessities such as housing and medical care, as well as basic amenities like a store, a school and churches. While the company greatly influenced the lives of its village residents, many families, new to America, worked to keep the culture of their native country alive in their new home while facing their own challenges.