Near Waggoner in Montgomery County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Coalfields of Illinois
Beneath us lies one of the nation's richest coal seams, formed 300 million years ago and covering two-thirds of Illinois. Coal made this state an industrial and economic powerhouse by the 1880s - it drove the machinery, heated the homes, smelted the steel, powered the railroads.
Coal companies recruited workers from many countries to labor in mostly rural communities, placing them in dangerous jobs with low pay. These miners and their families forged a union movement to demand their rights and reclaim their dignity.
In 1897, miners launched a march for a living wage from Mt. Olive, Illinois, a small immigrant town 20 miles south of here. The uprising spread through the mining areas of the country, resulting in a major union mining contract. Illinois miners became a leading force in the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), which grew into the largest and most influential union in the nation. Miners' efforts to bring democracy to the coalfields led to bloody battles with coal companies and their armed guards, costing hundreds of lives. Through these struggles, miners won safer working conditions, the eight-hour day and abolished child labor in the mines.
Mary Harris "Mother" Jones (1837-1930), Irish immigrant and socialist, emerged as the UMWA's most successful organizer. Beloved and legendary among workers throughout the United States, she organized not only miners but women and children in the coalfields. She chose to be buried in Mt. Olive in memory of the ordinary people who built the labor movement.
Erected 2017 by Mother Jones Heritage Project, Illinois Labor History Society, Illinois State Historical Society and Northern Illinois University.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Labor Unions • Women. In addition, it is included in the Illinois State Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.
Location. 39° 21.138′ N, 89° 38.67′ W. Marker is near Waggoner, Illinois, in Montgomery County. Marker is on Interstate 55 at milepost 65,, 10.8 miles south of Main Street (County Road 17). Marker is located in front of the Coalfield Rest Area, which is off of southbound Interstate 55. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 24304 W Frontage Rd, Waggoner IL 62572, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Mother Jones, Coalfield Organizer, 1837-1930 (approx. 0.4 miles away); Shrine of Our Lady of the Highways (approx. 1.4 miles away); Hank's (approx. 4.4 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 6 miles away); World War I Memorial (approx. 9.6 miles away); Morrison War Memorial (approx. 11.1 miles away); Endless Nights (approx. 11.6 miles away); Litchfield, Illinois (approx. 12 miles away).
More about this marker. Marker was dedicated on December 11, 2017.
Also see . . . The Mother Jones Museum. Museum Website (Submitted on May 12, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 23, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 12, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 378 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 12, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.