Author Mark Bulik eloquently describes the labor wars that consumed Schuylkill County in the 1870s.
“Something more than a river” – The West Branch in “Sons of Molly Maguire”
Violence in the Coal Region and the Molly Maguire conspiracy theory
An 1873 letter in the Boston Globe exhibits many signs of a Molly Maguire conspiracy theory in the Coal Region.
Port Carbon’s Soldiers Monument – Dedication on July 4, 1906
Port Carbon's Civil War monument was dedicated on July 4, 1906 to much fanfare.
“The hour of doom” – The Molly Maguire executions in Pottsville on June 21, 1877
A vivid account of the execution of six "Molly Maguires" at Pottsville on June 21, 1877
“The lonely valley was alive with workers” – The Mahanoy Valley in 1874
A newspaper correspondent gives a history of the mining industry in northern Schuylkill County.
“A reign of lawlessness” – A violent week in Schuylkill County in 1870
In April 1870, a widespread outbreak of violence across Schuylkill County shocked residents
Visiting John Siney’s grave in St. Clair
John Siney led one of the first successful unions in America, which briefly united mineworkers in the 1870s.
Coal Region mother sought help from Clara Barton after the Civil War
Private Thomas Hudson disappeared during the Civil War. His mother set out to find out what happened to her son.
A solemn tribute – Visiting Port Carbon’s Civil War memorials
In May 2019, we traveled to Port Carbon to see two Civil War monuments dedicated to local residents.
“Wait! Watch! Pray!” – The Cuban Missile Crisis
How did one small Coal Region community - Pine Grove - react to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962?
