Mount Hope in Pottsville in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Hanging of the Mollies
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 18, 2024
1. Hanging of the Mollies Marker
Inscription.
Hanging of the Mollies. . Here in this Schuylkill County prison yard on June 21, 1877, the largest mass execution in Pennsylvania took place with the hanging of six alleged "Molly Maguire" leaders. That same day, four other alleged "Mollies" were hanged at Mauch Chunk in Carbon County. Between 1877 and 1879, twenty alleged "Mollies" were hanged in Bloomsburg, Columbia County; Mauch Chunk, Carbon County and Pottsville, Schuylkill County[.] One hundred and one years following the hanging execution of Jack Kehoe, December 18, 1878, in this Schuylkill County prison the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted posthumous pardon to Kehoe, reflecting the judgment of many historians that the trials and executions were part of a repression directed against the fledgling mineworker's union of that historic period.
Here in this Schuylkill County prison yard on June 21, 1877, the largest mass execution in Pennsylvania took place with the hanging of six alleged "Molly Maguire" leaders. That same day, four other alleged "Mollies" were hanged at Mauch Chunk in Carbon County. Between 1877 and 1879, twenty alleged "Mollies" were hanged in Bloomsburg, Columbia County; Mauch Chunk, Carbon County and Pottsville, Schuylkill County[.] One hundred and one years following the hanging execution of Jack Kehoe, December 18, 1878, in this Schuylkill County prison the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted posthumous pardon to Kehoe, reflecting the judgment of many historians that the trials and executions were part of a repression directed against the fledgling mineworker's union of that historic period.
Erected 1980 by The Pennsylvania Labor History Society and the Schuylkill County Commissioners Pottsville, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Civil Rights • Labor Unions • Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is June 21, 1877.
Location. 40° 41.283′ N, 76° 11.955′ W.
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Marker is in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in Schuylkill County. It is in Mount Hope. It is on Sanderson Street just east of North 3rd Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 230 Sanderson St, Pottsville PA 17901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 20, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 588 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 20, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on September 8, 2013, by PaulwC3 of Northern, Virginia.
