Mahanoy Area Historical Society Click the link below to read newsletters from the past Past Years Newsletters 20152023 To read the article go to the link below Beaut McLaughlin Mahanoy Citys Police Chief for the Ages From horse to auto traffic the Vulcan Hill always challenged travelers By Terry Rang Travelers have always found the Vulcan Hill challenging. The steep route between Mahanoy City and Barnesville was difficult on a good day and treacherous in the snow and ice. From horseandbuggy days to the advent of automobiles the history of the Vulcan Hill highway is storied. Over the generations the route has undergone many changes to make the grade less steep and the highway safer.