A meeting of child mineworkers in 1902 | Recorded in McClure’s Magazine

Union meeting among schoolboys and young mineworkers - 1902

Discover how child workers in Harwood, Pennsylvania formed their own union in 1902, challenging exploitative conditions and uniting for fair treatment. This rare glimpse, documented in McClure’s Magazine, reveals the power of young activism during the Coal Strike. Read the full story.

Breaker boy out on strike | 1900

Breaker boy in the Coal Region during the 1900 Coal Strike in Pennsylvania.

Meet a young mineworker who joined striking miners in the 1900 Coal Strike, stopping operations and rallying adults to his cause. Discover how these determined youth shaped a defining moment in Pennsylvania’s anthracite history. Read the full story.

A photograph from the 1902 Coal Strike in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

This powerful photograph from Wilkes-Barre’s Parsons neighborhood captured striking miners threatening “scabs” who crossed picket lines. The historic 1902 Coal Strike reshaped labor organizing in Pennsylvania’s anthracite fields, leading to lasting gains for workers. Read the full story.

A journalist’s description of John Mitchell, leader of the United Mine Workers of America | 1900

UMWA President John Mitchell in 1900 - Pennsylvania coal region anthracite

Explore Olivia Dunbar’s vivid account of the somber, determined leader who united the United Mine Workers of America. Witness how Mitchell’s quiet strength and sense of responsibility molded a pivotal chapter in American labor history. Read the full story.

“Huckleberry Miners” | Coal Region women photographed in 1913

Coal Region women foraging for berries

Meet the “Huckleberry Miners” of 1913 Discover how Coal Region women foraged berries to feed their families and even formed a union to demand fair prices. Read the full story.

“Mother Jones” leads women’s march to support the 1900 Coal Strike

Mother Jones Marching in 1903

In September 1900, Mary Harris “Mother” Jones rallied women in McAdoo, Pennsylvania, to join a march supporting striking miners. Her stirring speech and fearless leadership convinced workers at nearby patch towns to lay down their tools in solidarity. Read the full story.

Scenes at a coal miners’ beer party in Schuylkill County | 1938

Explore 1938 photographs of a coal miners' beer party in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, captured by photographer Sheldon Dick. Delve into the social life of miners like Joe Gladski, a Maple Hill Colliery worker and United Mine Workers leader, highlighting the Coal Region's culture during the Great Depression. Read the full story.

Interviews with women during the 1900 Coal Strike reveal details of hardship and struggle in the patch towns near Hazleton

A women reporter documents the lives and struggles of working class women on the outskirts of Hazleton in 1900.

“Among the Pennsylvania coal-strikers” – A dispatch from the 1902 Coal Strike

STrikers in

This dispatch from the 1902 Coal Strike eloquently describes the battle lines as the strike entered its pivotal fifth month.