SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — In celebration of Charter Day, the commonwealths 345th birthday, the Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton hosted a free series of talks on the history of organized labor in the Anthracite business.
“They had horrible conditions underground, very difficult jobs, high risk, you know, high death rates, and then above ground, they’ve got to fight for the, you know, for their own existence and survival,” said Anthracite Heritage Museum site administrator Bode Morin.
During the time, four speakers explored key people, movements, and conflicts that shaped anthracite coal communities. From John Curran, the “labor priest of Anthracite”, to unions, and even the trend of dynamite bombings, the crowd of 50 in person and zoom attendees walked away with a deeper understanding of the social impact caused by the callous carbon rock.
“The man that spoke on dynamite, that was very, very interesting,” said lecture attendee Jim Michaels. “I, I never heard that aspect of it before. And, you know, the labor history stuff, because my wife is very interested in that, I’ve heard a lot about that, but it’s just important to get it out there that the struggle is never over.”
For Morin, it’s important for the public to know more than just the physical properties of anthracite, and that important local labor history isn’t forgotten.
“Not only was Anthracite important in creating a new energy and creating an impetus for new technological change, but it was also had a very, very strong social impact,” explained Morin. “I mean, you know, we talk about, you know, in some of the speakers say we’re talking about mobs and massacres, you know, and strikes and bombings. I mean, so these are very impactful events that happened and its important that we think about not just, you know, the black stuff, not just the coal, but the rest of the history of how that impacted people’s lives.”
Tune into Fox56 on Thursday at 10 P.M. for an Amazing America on Anthracite and how it is mined today.