South Williamsport in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Saw Dust War
The Timber Trail
— Susquehanna Riverwalk —
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2021
1. The Saw Dust War Marker
"…Whereas the workingmen in the sawmills of the city of Williamsport work from 11½ to 12 hours per day, a period longer than that worked by other workingmen in the United States, which is an injury to the human system… Resolved: that 10 hours is just and fair."
—official statement of the Williamsport sawmill strikers, 1872
In 1868, the Pennsylvania legislature passed a law limiting the work day to ten hours. Four years later, mill workers in Williamsport still worked 11-12 hours for $.80-$1.50/day, at a time when mill owners reaped unprecedented fortunes. In late June, 1872, labor organizers gathered in Williamsport and encouraged workers to demand a ten-hour workday with overtime compensation.
Though some mill owners agreed to the workers' terms, most mill owners refused to negotiate. Mill workers went on strike, forcing owners to close the mills and the Susquehanna Boom. On July 22, 1872 owners reopened the mills and boom with strike-breaking laborers, setting the stage for confrontation.
Conflict and Defeat
On the morning of July 22, 1872 striking laborers marched from mill to mill, clashing with strike breakers. Williamsport's Mayor S.W. Starkweather, himself a mill owner, telegraphed Governor Geary to request 500 National Guard troops. Troops arrived the following day and arrested
this page online
Life of the Sawmill Laborer
Annually, Williamsport sawmills operated for approximately seven months, during which the mill laborers typically worked from dawn to dusk, with a short break for lunch. In winter, when the river and holding ponds froze and the mills closed, many mill workers moved to lumber camps to fell trees. They returned with the spring log drives, following the logs down the frigid West Branch of the Susquehanna River to Williamsport.
Erected by Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania, Inc., and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Industry & Commerce • Labor Unions • Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is July 22, 1872.
Location. 41° 14.095′ N, 76° 59.924′ W. Marker is in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in Lycoming County. Marker can be reached from Market Street (U.S. 15) ¼ mile south of Susquehanna Beltway (U.S. 220), on the right when traveling south. Marker is located along the Susquehanna Riverwalk, on the south side of the West Branch Susquehanna River, between Market Street and Maynard Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Williamsport PA 17702, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other
Lycoming County Historical Society’s Taber Museum Collection
2. Marker detail: Sawmill Strikers
Though the strike leaders were sentenced to one year of hard labor, Governor Geary granted them a full pardon.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. The Timber Trail
Also see . . .
1. Overworked and underpaid: The Sawdust War and its legacy.
Pennsylvania had passed a law in 1868 ensuring a shorter work day for those on the river. However, there was no enforcement or oversight in its application, which allowed Lumber Barons to conveniently ignore the legislation. The Sawdust War of 1872 was first and foremost a labor dispute between the interests of the wealthy few and the many of the working class. Twenty-seven men were arrested. Twenty-one men were convicted to time served in county jail. Four men were convicted to one-year terms in federal prison. It was in response to(Submitted on February 12, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)a petition signed by more than 2000 community members, including Lumber Baron Peter Herdic, that the governor pardoned the men two days later with no time served. It was critical to Herdic and other lumber bosses that they retain their workers, and that no future strikes assemble in response to any perceived injustice as the strike significantly impacted their profit.Lycoming County Historical Society3. Marker detail: Lumber WorkersLong hours and dangerous work defined the lives of the lumber workers.
2. Ten Hours or No Sawdust: Sawdust War of 1872.
This first attempt to organize lumber workers failed and it would take until the early years of the 20th Century before any attempts at organizing labor in Lycoming County would be successful. The lumber labor disorder in Williamsport foreshadowed the bloodier and more costly labor strife that would erupt in the anthracite coal fields in northeastern Pennsylvania in the mid and late 1870s, which was highlighted by the Molly Maguires and their attempts to gain economic justice for coal miners.(Submitted on February 12, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2021
4. The Saw Dust War Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 8, 2022. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 193 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 12, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
