Coatesville in Chester County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Lynching of Zachariah Walker

December 29, 2008

1. Lynching of Zachariah Walker Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

An African American steelworker, Walker was burned to death by a mob near here on August 13, 1911. He was accused of killing Edgar Rice, a white security guard and a former borough policeman. Fifteen local men and teenage boys were indicted for their involvement in Walker's death but were acquitted of all charges. Nationwide outrage led to the NAACP's national anti-lynching campaign and inspired Pennsylvania's 1923 anti-lynching law.

Erected 2006 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission series list.

Location. 39° 58.26′ N, 75° 49.908′ W. Marker is in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, in Chester County. Marker is on Doe Run Road (Pennsylvania Route 82) ¼ mile south of the Coatesville city limits, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Coatesville PA 19320, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of

December 29, 2008

2. Lynching of Zachariah Walker Marker

this marker. The Lukens Mill - Late 1800s (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Lukens Mill - Early 1900s (approx. 0.8 miles away); Brandywine Iron Works - Early 1800s (approx. 0.8 miles away); Terracina (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Modern Mill (approx. 0.9 miles away); Brandywine Mansion (approx. 0.9 miles away); a different marker also named Brandywine Mansion (approx. 0.9 miles away); Charles Lukens Huston House Site (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Coatesville.

Also see . . .
1. Summer Sunday. This article, by Eric F. Goldman, was originally published in American Heritage Magazine in June 1964. “Coatesville, Pennsylvania, dozed fitfully in the oppressive heat of August. Then two shots rang out, and set off an ugly train of racial violence.” (Submitted on December 30, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)

2. “A Crooked Death”: Coatesville, Pennsylvania and the Lynching of Zachariah Walker. 1987 article by Raymong M. Hyser and Dennis B. Downey originally published in Pennsylvania History, Vol. 54, No. 2. “Zachariah Walker was an obscure lever-puller at the Worth Brothers Steel Company, one of the two behemoth steel mills that dominated Coatesville. Brought from rural Virginia as an unskilled laborer, Walker hoped for a better life outside the Jim Crow South.” (Submitted on December 31, 2008, by Anonymous of Coatesville, Pa..)

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3. Lynching of Zachariah Walker - Behind the Marker. ExplorePAHistory.com (Submitted on July 14, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on December 29, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 5,209 times since then and 69 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 29, 2008.