Area History: A Centennial History - Mahanoy City 
CHAPTER IX -THE TROUBLED YEARS
Pages 65-67

This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Shirley Ryan 
sryan@enter.net 

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CHAPTER IX - THE TROUBLED YEARS
PAGE 65 - 67 


A CENNENTIAL HISTORY:
THIS MATERIAL IS TRANSCRIBED FROM THE 1963 CENTENNIAL BOOKLET ENTITLED
“MAHANOY CITY, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 1863-1963, A HISTORY”.
THE HISTORIANS WHO COMPILED THIS HISTORY WERE:
JOSEPH H. DAVIES, CHAIRMAN
CHARLES H. ENGLE
ELWOOD M. YOUNG

Transcribed by:
Shirley E. Thomas Ryan
June 22, 2002


CHAPTER IX
THE TROUBLED YEARS

Page 65 - 

It is difficult for residents of Mahanoy City today to conceive that there ever was a 
time when the spirit of neighborliness and goodwill did not prevail here.

The period of strife cannot be ignored however, if a true picture of the community’s 
early days is to be painted.  Without comment, the committee appointed to prepare this 
history, have digested pages from earlier writings to depict those troubled years.

The 1881 history states:  “The period comprising twelve years following the organization 
of the borough ws one of turmoil and lawlessness among the miners and laborers, many of 
whom had been driven from other localities by the fear of punishment for misdeeds.  With 
an imperfect police force, the law-abiding people found themselves obliged to be on their 
guard, and in many cases, to foster a part of the turbulent element as a means with which 
to control the other portion”.

The writer refers to the Molly Maguires, a rival society known as the Ironclads or Sheet 
Iron Boys, and the Modocs, an organization that opposed the first two groups.

After discussing some lawless incidents, he notes that a “firm attitude” was taken, “after 
the Wiggans’ Patch affair, in favor of law and order by the authorities, backed by the coal 
and iron police”.  This, he adds, “caused the gradual weeding of the bad element by 
immigration; and within the four years prior to 1880 the borough had settled down to a 
state of quiet obedience to the laws that renders the recital of the events of the preceding 
decade almost incredible…”

It is stated “The Mollie Maguires attained their greatest strength at this point in 1875, 
during the long strike”.  The observation is made that the disorders of the period had 
“the practical effect” of discouraging individual operator, “and force them to sell their 
collieries to one of the two carrying companies, whose possession of these important 
mines gave them the very supremacy which the miners and laborers most feared”.

BURGESS LOSES LIFE

During the most turbulent period in the history of the community, George Major, who had 
assumed the duties of Chief Burgess on March 2, 1874, was wounded fatally.

The following information is condensed from “The Molly Maguires, the Origin, Growth and 
Character of the Organization” by F.P. Dewees, a member of the Schuylkill County Bar, 
published by J.B. Lippincott and Co, in 1877.

“During the evening of October 31, 1874”, Dewees explains, “a peculiarly turbulent feeling 
manifested itself.  A fire, about the center of town, in the early night brought both 
engine-companies to the ground, and a general fight soon began.  Shorts were exchanged, 
several persons were injured, and George Major, the Chief Burgess, received a wound which 
in a few hours occasioned his death”.

It may be noted here that the death of Major resulted in the calling of a special meeting 
of Borough Council on November 5, 1874 when resolutions were adopted lauding him and it 
was decided to attend his funeral in a body and drape the Council rom in mourning for 
three months.”

Dewees also reports on the trial, sent to Lebanon County on application of the Schuylkill 
County Courts.  It took place during the month of April 1875, and ended with the defendant 
being “triumphantly acquitted”.

GOWEN LIST

On July 29 and 30, 1875, Franklin B. Gowen, Esq., president of the Philadelphia and Reading 
Coal and Iron Co., appeared before a state legislative committee and presented a list of 
outrages, allegedly the work of the Molly Maguires.

The list is contained in the appendix of the Dewees’ work.

It begins with entries dated late in the year 1874, so the assassination of Chief Burgess 
George Major, on October 31 that year, does not appear.

The following notations are selected from the lengthy list as they pertain to Mahanoy City 
and vicinity.

Page 66 - 

1875

April 2 - Switch-lock broken and switch misplaced near Mahanoy City, throwing freight train 
off track and engine and portion of train down the bank.

April 2 - Engine No. 237, on freight train No. 11, was run over an embankment at Elmwood 
Colliery, a switch having been misplaced by some unknown person.  Damage one hundred and 
ten dollars.  Sheriff Werner distributed his proclamation through the riotous region.  
Governor Hartranft also issued his proclamation.

April 2 - a large party of men and boys boarded a freight train at Mahanoy City in defiance 
of the crew.  They were driven off by Sheriff Weaver (Werner) and policy force.

April 2 - John Stephens, living at Mahanoy Plane, shot at and stoned for refusing to unite 
with the strikers…No movement of the coal trade.

April 3 - Twelve empty coal cars run off the track by unknown persons at hillside 
Colliery.  Damage twenty-five dollars.

April 3 - Two freight cars run off the track at Ellengowan Colliery by unknown party.  
Damage two thousand and eighteen dollars.

April 7 - A piece of iron was found wedged in a frog in the main track east of Mahanoy Plane.  
It was discovered in time to prevent damage.

April 12 - A car started in Heckscher branch, near Shenandoah, running down main line of 
Shenandoah branch about the time the passenger train from Mahanoy Plane to Shenandoah was 
due.

April 22 - Hose of water columns at Mahanoy Plane, Gordon and Excelsior cut.

May 3 - Freight cars started from siding at Mahanoy City by some persons unknown, and run 
off the track at main road switch.  Another entry of this date states that the engine “Gem”, 
which later exploded at the local Reading Station, was stoned at Girardville”.

May 13 - Stones, logs, etc., placed on track between Mahanoy City and St. Nicholas.

May 19 - Signal tower at Mahanoy Plane, east of Bear Ridge colliery No. 2, burned at 
four o’clock a.m.

June 3 - Engine “Gem”, conveying M.J.H.Olhausen, superintendent (of the Mahanoy and 
Shamokin branch of the railroad company), was fired at when near Mahanoy City by some 
persons unknown.  No injury was sustained.

June 3 - In the morning about seven o’clock, a large body of men, estimated to be from 
five hundred to one thousand in number, from Hazleton and vicinity, made their appearance 
in the neighborhood of Mahanoy City and stopped the men working the North Mahanoy, 
Primrose, Jones, Ward & Oliver’s, Beaver Run and Hartford collieries.  About twelve 
o’clock a mob of men from Shenandoah and other localities in this region, numbering 
about twelve hundred, marched through Mahanoy City.  Their first act was to demand 
the release from the lock-up of a man who had been arrested in the morning by the 
chief burgess; this they effected by paying a fine.  At two o’clock several hundred 
of the mob gathered at the colliery worked by King, Tyler & Co., and compelled their 
men to quit work.  Sheriff Werner ordered the rioters to disperse, and was reading 
the riot act, when he and his posse where fired upon by the rioters.  Two policemen of 
the Mahanoy City force were slightly wounded.  After this attack, the mob marched to 
St. Nicholas Colliery and dispersed.  Governor Hartranft, having been called upon, 
ordered companies of troops to Mahanoy City and Shenandoah to protect lives and property.  
On the morning of the same day (June 3), a large body of men gathered about the 
West Shenandoah Colliery, threatening to stop the men working there, but were prevented 
from making an attack by the force of armed police under Joseph Heisler.  An attempt 
was made to throw the night passenger train to Shenandoah from the track, by obstructing 
the road with stones, but the attempt was discovered in time to prevent an accident.  
A part of about thirty men, towards evening, while still daylight, went to the colliery 
worked by William Schwenk, near Mount Carmel, and deliberately fired the breaker, standing 
around until it was consumed.  The colliery had worked since June 1 at reduced wages.

June 28 - About five o’clock in the morning, William Thomas was attacked in the stable of 
the Shoemaker Colliery, near Mahanoy City by seven strange men, firing at him several times, 
striking him in three places, in the neck, leg and about the front of the body.  During 
the firing a horse was killed and a mule shot in the leg.  Thomas’ injuries were not 
dangerous.  John Blair, engineer, and Thomas Chapman, stable boss, were in the stable 
at the time.

Page 67 - 

July 15 - Another attempt was made to assassinate William Thomas.  He had just got into a 
passenger car at the Lehigh Valley depot, at Mahanoy City, for the purpose of going home 
to Shoemaker’s Colliery, when he noticed several rough-looking men watching him.  
Immediately surmising their object, he started to go out of the car, the train just 
leaving the depot, and as he jumped from the car a shot was fired at him from the platform, 
but without effect.  This party were strangers.

REPORT OF SLAYINGS

In the same appendix in the Dewees’ history in which the Gowen report appears, there is 
reprinted a news item from the “Miners’ Journal”, early Pottsville newspaper, issue of 
March 30, 1867.  It is titled “Murders in Schuylkill County During the Last Three Years”.

It reports there were thirteen murders in 1863, fourteen in 1864, twelve in 1865, five in 
1866 and five in 1867 up to the date of the published news item.

The following murders are listed as having been committed in this section:

1864

January 12 - Patrick Ormsby killed by pistol shot, Mahanoy Township.
August 21 - Unknown man killed by being mutilated, Mahanoy Township.
November 10 - Reese Jenkins killed by pistol shot, Mahanoy City.

1866

April 2 - Patrick Dooling shot and killed while attempting to murder Mr. (Thomas) Lewis, 
boss at Cole’s Colliery, Mahanoy Township.
September 9 - George Theobald killed by unknown persons, by shooting, Mahanoy City.

1867

March 22 - Patrick Stinson killed by James Gallagher, by shooting, Mahanoy Township.  The 
article concludes:
“In all, fifty murders.
“The murder of Mr. Littlehales and that of Mr. Johnson are too new to need comment.
“In 1866, six murderous assaults, in which parties were seriously injured, and twenty-seven 
robberies were recorded.
“In 1867, to March 16, there were six murderous assaults and twenty-seven robberies, which 
we have been called upon to record, independent of the murders.
“We have heard of several other murders and homicides of which the particulars could not be 
obtained, the bodies having been removed secretly.
“But few arrests of the murders have been made”.


*Photo - The Mansion House.  Caption - Built when the Community was in its Formative Years.


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