As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re spotlighting the incredible stories of women who shaped the history of Pennsylvania’s Coal Region and beyond.
From the labor strikes that challenged industrial power to the resilience of women who kept their families and communities running during difficult times, their impact is woven into the fabric of our past. Whether fighting for workers’ rights, breaking barriers in politics, or leading local reform movements, these women played a pivotal role in shaping the region’s story.
On September 22, 1900, Mary Harris Jones, famously known as “Mother Jones,” delivered a rousing speech in McAdoo, Pennsylvania, rallying local women to join a protest march in support of the ongoing 1900 Coal Strike.
Step into 1897 Luzerne County, where a local woman denounces the deadly attack on immigrant mineworkers near Hazleton. She questions the fairness of the coal barons’ power and urges neighbors to rise against oppression.
Interviews with women during the 1900 Coal Strike reveal details of hardship and struggle in the patch towns near Hazleton
Explore firsthand accounts of wives and mothers in Hazleton’s patch towns, who reveal the crushing realities of debt, company stores, and constant fear for their families. Journalist Olivia Howard Dunbar’s interviews expose the hidden struggles that shaped this tense, early union fight.
“Her style is incomparable” – Susan Evelyn Dickinson in the Coal Region
Meet the formidable writer and poet who championed coal miners’ rights and women’s suffrage in 19th-century Northeastern Pennsylvania. Susan Evelyn Dickinson’s fearless reporting and advocacy brought hidden stories to light, shaping public opinion far beyond the anthracite fields. We’ve previously written about her coverage of a mine fire near Wilkes-Barre, PA.
“Heroic cause of education” – Pottsville established a “Freedmen’s Relief Association” in 1867
Discover how Pottsville’s Freedmen’s Relief Association raised funds and sent teachers south to educate newly freed African Americans in 1867, forging a path for Black education and highlighting the region’s ongoing commitment to Reconstruction efforts.
“Incidents of a by-gone age” – A woman’s description of life in the Coal Region before the Civil War
Step back to the 1840s and 1850s through Catherine Myers’s vivid memories – candles and pine knots for light, open-hearth cooking, and long walks to distant doctors. Gain a rare, firsthand glimpse of a humble yet resilient community on the brink of massive change.
Protest blocks the streets of Tower City, Pennsylvania | 1958
In 1958, residents of Tower City, Pennsylvania, frustrated by coal dust coating their homes, took to the streets in protest. For three days, a group of local women blocked coal trucks from passing through their community, demanding relief from the pollution caused by mining operations. Their stand disrupted coal shipments and forced negotiations
Read more women’s history stories from the Coal Region
“Stick to the Union” – Factory girls supported union miners during Coal Strike of 1902
“Surely I intend to vote” – Pottsville women respond to adoption of the suffrage amendment in 1920
“Women will vote strong” – Wilkes-Barre women excited to vote in 1920 presidential election
“All honor to the ladies” – The women of Williams Valley cast their first vote
Coal Region mother sought help from Clara Barton after the Civil War
Explore all Women’s History stories from Jake Wynn – Public Historian
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Hi Jake. I enjoy reading your posts. I was born in 1950 as Judy Cook in Lykens and married Joe Flynn from Williamstown. I love seeing the old pictures of Lykens looking into the Wiconisco Gap. I had a horse in Lykens and spent many days riding up through that gap over to Bear Valley, and exploring the ruins of old industry in the gap. When I see those big mounds of coal refuse between Lykens and Wiconisco in your pictures I remember riding out \”polish row\” toward the gap and riding up onto one of those mounds with other horse friends . There was a road on top of the mound where we would race as fast as we could on the good footing of fine crushed coal dirt. We called it the \”moon\” because of its landscape. My grandmother lived on main street where the RR tracks crossed main street. There was a water tower near her back yard where the train stopped. One time we talked the conducter into taking us a short piece ride. I love delving into my town\’s history. My great grandfather and grandfather were carpenters. They bought a number of lots on the west end of North street and built houses on them to sell. They had a sawmill there on the bank of the Black creek. That\’s where I kept my horse. My great grandfather was a slate roofer in Germany. He settled in Berrysburg and put slate roofs on many of the buildings in the area there and over to E\’ville, On their house in Lykens he did the sides of the house in slate as well as the roof. It is still in great condition. Thanks for your posts. Judy Cook Flynn Lengle
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