Sergeant John Williamson was a young laborer from the Coal Region village of Eckley who enlisted in the United States Army in 1861. One year later, he was killed during the brutal fighting at Charles City Crossroads in Virginia. Today, a photograph preserves the story of his short life in his hometown. Read the Full Story.
“There is but one feeling expressed, and that is, the government must be sustained.” That line appeared in a letter written from Eckley, Pennsylvania just days after the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861. In the Coal Region, the news sparked a surge of patriotism as young men began volunteering for the US Army. Read the Full Story and Letter.
Step inside Eckley’s 1861 Church of the Immaculate Conception - built for Irish Catholic mineworkers and later deconsecrated, then immortalized in the film, The Molly Maguires. Today, it stands restored as part of Eckley Miners’ Village, a testament to faith and community in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region. Read the full story.
Explore Eckley Miners’ Village in Luzerne County We stepped back in time at this preserved 1850s patch town - the filming site of "The Molly Maguires" – and learned more about patch towns in the Coal Region. Read the full story of our visit and how you can plan your own trip.
Emil Kimmel provided an incredible description of his experiences aboard the USS Yorktown at the Battle of Midway.
On January 28, 1970, The Molly Maguires appeared on the big screen for the first time. Here's Wynning History's takeaway.