On August 8, 1863, Brigadier General William Whipple was nearly gunned down on the outskirts of Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
An 1863 assassination attempt on a US Army commander near Pottsville, PA
A reporter’s view of situation in Heckscherville and Schuylkill County in 1863
A New York Times reporter's observations about the Schuylkill County mining village of Heckscherville in 1863.
Some thoughts on “The Molly Maguires” on the 50th anniversary of its big screen debut
On January 28, 1970, The Molly Maguires appeared on the big screen for the first time. Here's Wynning History's takeaway.
“Something more than a river” – The West Branch in “Sons of Molly Maguire”
Author Mark Bulik eloquently describes the labor wars that consumed Schuylkill County in the 1870s.
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.
“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
“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
Watching HBO’s Deadwood and finding comparisons to Pennsylvania’s Coal Region
Watching HBO's Deadwood and reflecting on similarities between the "Wild West" and Pennsylvania's Coal Region
Podcast – Discussing the 1862 uprising in Schuylkill County
We sat down with public historian John Heckman to discuss the 1862 miners' revolt in Schuylkill County.
“Revolutionary Disloyalty” – A coal miners’ rebellion in Schuylkill County during the Civil War
Explore the 1862 coal miners' rebellion in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, where Irish miners resisted the Civil War draft. Uncover how labor unrest, ethnic tensions, and anti-war sentiments ignited one of the first Northern uprisings, shaping the region's history during a tumultuous era in Coal Region history. Read the full story.