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110th Anniversy of the Lattimer Massacre

110th Anniversy of the Lattimer Massacre - Sunday, September 9, 2007 at 10:44PM EST

Reported by: Jill Konopka
Sunday, Sep 9, 2007 @10:44pm EST
(LATTIMER MINES, Luzerne County) –

110 years ago this Monday, anthracite coal miners carrying the American flag marched up a road in Lattimer Mines, Luzerne County.  They came to protest for better wages and working conditions.

The miners were met by the Luzerne County Sheriff and his deputies.  Robert Keller lives close to where it all happened, "Right under that tree is where the deputies were lined up and supposedly as the marchers came into town, someone must've fired a shot and triggered the whole thing off."

In the end, 19 un-armed miners were killed.  More than three dozen injured.  It would later be called the Lattimer Massacre.

Keller added, "I come from a mining family and I'm proud to say it." Robert Keller grew up in the area and lives only a few hundred feet from where it all happened.

A memorial in honor of the Lattimer Massacre memorial is right down the street from Keller.  He declared, "It's surprising how many people drive up, stop and take pictures, it's shocking how many people do it."

A handful of others made their way to the Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton.  Bill Hastie of West Pittston was one of them, "I'm glad that everyone has not forgotten the mines and miners." That's where Dr. Richard Healey, a Professor at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom gave an illustrated presentation.

Tying in the growing power of the railroads over the mining industry, which Dr. Healey says set up some of what was to come.

Dr. Richard Healey added, "They depended on the coal supply for traffic for railroads and they saw unions as a great threat to their economic activities part of reasons why problems arose." The lecture attracted dozens of locals who have a deep seeded interest in the industry.

Bill Hastie comes from a coal mining family; there were 75 in all he says. He lost an uncle and cousin in mining accidents, and more overseas and even dodged death during the Knox Mine Disaster too.

Bill Hastie stated, "I was working at the river smoke mine where the disaster occurred, but I was on the afternoon shift." Pieces of history this region will never forget. Also this week, back on September 6th of 1869, 110 men and boys died in an accident at the Avondale Mine Disaster in Plymouth, Luzerne County.
 


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