Miners Hall Museum, Franklin, Kansas

We stopped at a Mobile Home & RV park in Pittsburg, Kansas for a few days. We found the Miners Hall Museum just up the road from where we stayed, and decided to see what kind of mining took place in Kansas. Staffed by volunteers, we were the only ones in there the Saturday we went. We were even able to bring Lucy inside with us! It is free, but they have a box for donations. 

The story of coal mining in southeast Kansas began in 1866 when the first vein was discovered by settlers in Cherokee County. Soon thereafter heavy beds of coal were unearthed in both Crawford and Cherokee Counties that would, by the turn of the century, supply a third of the nation's fossil fuel. In response to the large workforce required, waves of immigrants from numerous European countries passed through Ellis Island and settled on the southeast Kansas prairie to mine the coal and build a better life for themselves and their families. Demonstrating the democratic principles of the melting pot, the area became a thriving multiethnic region that promised to fulfill the American dream for future generations.

The history of coal mining and legacy of reform left by its labor pioneers is now being honored and showcased at the Miners Hall Museum. The structure rests on the grounds of the original miners' union hall, the place where people once gathered to hold meetings, organize, celebrate, and dream. It is also where the historic Amazon Army assembled to march in support of striking miners in 1921. A miner's pick, discovered on the land behind the museum, is seen both as a sign of support for the museum's location and a good omen for the years ahead.

This is an alabaster carving of a tornado bearing down on on a home and is a reminder of the force of Mother Nature. While May 4, 2003, was a tragic event that will never be forgotten, this beautiful carving is a reminder of the true spirit of the community and its recovery. 

Jefferson Highway was the first transcontinental road to traverse the North American continent North and South and possibly the first dedicated international highway in the world. Conceived at a meeting in New Orleans in 1915, the highway was dedicated in 1919. Well before the federal government took over the job, the Jefferson Highway Association built or connected almost 2,200 miles of road. It adopted a nickname for the route, "From Palm to Pine," and blazed it with signs: a vertical rectangle divided into three bars, blue at the top and bottom and the letters JH in the white middle. The Jefferson Highway only existed as a named highway for a few years until it lost its title to the new standardized numbering system in the 1920s.

US Highway 69 was commissioned in 1926. The Frontier Military Scenic Highway was designated in 1990. The Byway was designated a state byway by the Kansas Legislature on June 15, 1990. It extends roughly 167 miles tying Fort Levenworth to the north and then onward to the Oklahoma border. The route approximates the old military trail used by the Army to transport troops and supplies between the frontier forts. 

Weir house move, early 1900s

Daisy Hill, early 1900s -- Mishmash Family

Daisy Hill, 1914 -- Kukovich Family

Street Scene, Mulberry, Kansas

Street Scene, Mulberry Kansas

Dunkirk Coal Camp, 1900

Two Room Company House
Chicopee, Kansas, destroyed in 1985

Theater & Dance Hall, Foxtown, Kansas

Company houses at Frontenac -- 1910 of the same design as the Miner's House. It was built by the Cherokee & Pittsburg Coal & Mining Company.

Coal Company houses were built between 1895 and 1905. They were all built by the Cherokee & Pittsburg Coal & Mining Company, the coal branch of the Santa Fe R.R. These houses are believed to be all constructed where they now stand in Chicopee, Kansas.

"I came to America because I heard the streets were paved with gold. When I got here, I found out three things: first, the streets weren't paved with gold; second, they weren't paved at all; and third, I was expected to pave them." ~~ Quote from an Italian immigrant

Before the coal mining industry became prominent in this area during the late 1800s, the Cherokee Neutral Lands were scarcely inhabited by the Osage Indians and white settlers. People either traded or used the outcroppings of "black rocks that made fire," which were found on the surface from Weir to Pittsburg. Despite a lack of money, harsh weather, and hard work, some families established farms during this time. Once the Scammon brothers sunk the first mining shaft, life changed for everyone.

Between 1880 and 1940, the growth of Cherokee and Crawford counties was remarkable with an influx of people coming not only from the eastern states, but also from European countries. Trying to find a better life, the intrigue of coal enticed thousands to move here and become coal miners. "The Little Balkans" name is associated with Crawford County as the majority of European immigrants came from the Balkan Peninsula region of southeastern Europe, making this a land of unique heritage.

Coal from P&M Coal Company, Asbury, Missouri

Louis Bama was born January 26, 1886, in Corio, Italy. He immigrated to the United States (specifically southeast Kansas) in 1915. In 1921 he married Rina Ghiglietti and they made their home in Frontenac, Kansas. They had one daughter born in 1922. Louis was no stranger to hard work and quickly began farming and working in underground coal mines. He worked for a time at the Gubbio mine located east of Frontenac and later moved to the Menghini mine in Frontenac.

These jeans were worn by Louis Bama when he worked in these mines. They had padded knees but Louie added rubber from a tire inner tube to make them last a little longer. Digging coal was a job done working on your knees in a space about 40" high. Because of these conditions many older miners were stooped over from the years of work bent in that small space. 

After the death of his wife, Louie retired in 1946 to live with his daughter and her husband, who was also a coal miner, and their children. Shortly before he passed in 1973 he received federal "black lung" benefits for all the years spent working in the underground mines. 

Louis Bama's Coal Mining Jeans

Benjamin F. Gritz, Miner at Mackie
Clemens Coal Mine -- 43 years

Unknown Slope Mine -- Notice the miners have oil lamps
on their caps which were used before carbide lamps

Coalvale, Kansas Slope Mine

Umbria Mine, Mulberry, Kansas

"I worked thirty-five straight years without missing a day's work. I went to work sick a lot of times, but I never missed." ~~ Louis (GeGe) Sachetta, P&M employee

(He held the second "most time in service" than any of the companies' 1,838 employees. His friend, Herman Goedeke, holds the record with forty-seven years service.)

Coal mining began with surface mining a coal vein that had little overburden, moved to deep shaft mining, and eventually returned to surface or strip mining. When the coal vein is close to the surface, surface mining is valid; however, when the coal is found far below, deep shaft mining is required. Room-and-pillar was used almost exclusively in southeast Kansas. An elaborate labyrinth of rooms was dug off a long tunnel, and the miner worked in a room, removing coal to be carried to a coal car and lifted to the top.

"Dad took great pride in being good at digging coal. He enjoyed kidding fellow miners about not being able to mine enough coal to keep a "monkey stove" going. His habit of sitting (like work in the mine required) in a squat position, even on chairs, drove my mother to distraction, but he claimed to feel more comfortable in that position." ~~ Dr. Robert S. LaForte

The Army of Amazons

The event that epitomizes the spirit of the Kansas Balkans was the women's march of 1921. On December 12, 1921, 3,000 (and by some reports up to 6,000) wives, mothers, sisters, sweethearts, and other relatives of striking miners assembled at the union hall in Franklin, Kansas. Carrying American flags and armed with red pepper to throw in the eyes of the strikebreakers, they traveled to area Crawford County mines in an attempt to stop scab miners from reporting to work in place of their men.

The event called the Governor into action and made headlines across the nation. The New York Times identified the marchers as an Army of Amazons. After the three day march was halted, 49 women were arrested on charges of illegal assembly and assault.

This large scale involvement of women set this demonstration apart from the labor unrest that often disturbed the area. Their actions echoed solidarity with the male members of the mining community and linked the miners' struggle to the American ideals of justice and democracy. They considered their cause one of conserving democratic values rather than one of revolt. This spirited chapter linked men and women together in one of the most dynamic pages in this history of American labor. ~~ Army of Amazons, Linda O'Nelio

Mary Skubitz

"Mary Skubitz, later identified as one of the leaders at the December 11th meeting, spoke five languages. Born in 1887, she came to America at the age of 3 from Slovenia with her coal miner father and her mother. Mary, along with her mother, was among those arrested and held on $750 bond instead of the standard $200. Mary kept a journal of the events surrounding the march." 

"There was absolutely no fear in these women's hearts. Like the lion, they would face and fight anything bar handed -- no weapon of any kind -- they would face the militia their only thought was something must be done so that their little ones would have food -- something to wear in the cold, even though they might meet death at the hands of the militia." ~~ Mary Skubitz, Journal, Dec. 1921

Solidarity - March of the Amazon Army
Coal bucket artist: Nicole Meyer-Foresman

Tribute to the Amazon Army

Western Coal & Mining Co., Pittsburg, Kansas, Mine No. 22, March 20, 1940

Miners lunch boxes

Miner's oilwick lamp 

Also commonly referred to as a "Teapot Lamp," This type is also known as a "Sunshine Lamp" as it was made to burn Sunshine Wax made by the Standard Oil Company. This waxy fuel was made with normal wax paraffin with a small percentage of mineral oil mixed in. The double spout is a good give-away in identifying this type of lamp. The double spout would create a headed dead air space that would help to keep the waxy fuel hot and very soft for burning. This type of lamp could burn other fuels (lard, tallow and various vegetable oils) but was made to primarily burn Sunshine Wax. Conversely, the normal oil wick lamps could not easily use Sunshine Wax as a fuel without the miners doing some tricks and enduring the hassle factor to get them lit and keep them burning.

Built by Clifton Eichelberger (1918-2007). He was a machinist for Douglas Fairchild during World War II, then with CTS Knights for over 50 years. He met small engine guru Elmer Verburg and built engines using his prints while he also built small engines of his own design.

From hand tools to draglines, the coal industry introduced different equipment for the methods of extracting coal from the ground. Early surface mining used plows, scrapers, and teams, and later on, large shovels removed coal from the stripped ground. Deep shaft miners used carbide lamps and picks in the darkness of the deep mines. Cages carried miners and mules to the lower depths of a shaft mine, and the jobs of shotfire, cager, check weigher, and trapper each required specialized tools to accomplish chores.

Big Brutus

Big Brutus is the centerpiece of a mining museum in West Mineral, Kansas, United States where it was used in coal strip mining operations. The shovel was designed to dig from 20 to 69 feet (6.1 to 21.0 m) down to unearth relatively shallow coal seams, which would themselves be mined with smaller equipment. The Big Brutus Visitors Center is located in West Mineral, Kansas. There is also a self-contained section for RVs and a dump station. Picnic tables are available and a shelter for gatherings of all kinds. 

Bird cage with canary

Canaries in coal mines were used because miners faced many constant dangers: cave-ins, explosions, fires and dangerous gases like carbon monoxide. The gas is odorless and colorless. At first carbon monoxide poisoning just causes a mild headache, dizziness and shortness of breath, but it can quickly become fatal.

But canaries, it turns out, are much more sensitive to carbon monoxide and other poisonous gases than humans. Around 1911, miners started carrying canaries into the mines with them, and they quickly became a metaphor for warning signs -- when the canary keels over, it's time to evacuate the mine before you become the next victim.

The idea of using canaries is credited to John Scott Haldane, known to some as "the father of oxygen therapy." His research on carbon monoxide led him to recommend using the birds. They were more sensitive to the colorless, odorless carbon monoxide and other poisonous gases than humans. If the animal became ill or died, that would give miners a warning to evacuate.

Mining Chits

Chits were used by the miners to assure they received credit for the amount of coal they dug. The numbers were placed on their coal car, the car was sent up and the weighman would weigh the coal and record it, thus giving credit to the miner. Another use was for safety. The tags were worn on the miner's hats and before each man went into the mine he would take the tag off of his hat and hang the tag at the entrance of the mine before he entered. The procedure was a way of tracking which miner was in the mine at any given time.

Model Steam Shovel

Built by Jack Verga at the age of 13. Jack's father worked at the mine in Burgess. Jack visited the mine often to develop his design. He used fruit crates and lumber for the wooden structure, thread spools from his mother's sewing supplies for the track wheels and hand carved all the parts.

Edison Phonograph Cylinder Player

The Edison company was formed in 1887. He introduced the improved phonograph in May of 1888, shortly followed by the Perfected Phonograph. The first wax cylinders Edison used were white and made of ceresin, beeswax and stearic wax. Standard sized cylinders were 50 cents each and typically played at 120rpm. Sound lasted 2 minutes. There was no method of mass production. Performers had to repeat their performance to record each cylinder.

Henry Golden Boy "Coal Miners Tribute Edition II"

Donated by Henry Repeating Arms, Anthony Imperato, President, Bayonne, NJ (We met Mr. Imperato during an NRA Convention in Charlotte, NC many years ago. He was very cordial and a gentleman; his company is one of the best.)

H-H Inhalator

Dad hadn't gone to work and Jimmy asked him, "Dad, why aren't you going to work today?" Dad replied, "I'm going to help you deliver papers today." That day at 24 Western, his room caved in. Had he gone to work, his life would have been taken. ~~ Raymond Cattaneo

Socializing with family and friends became a way to relax and renew the determination of a coal miner and his family. While we often think of only the hard times, we must remember that relationships were strong, loyal, and celebrated. Growing out of a desire to maintain their heritage, the Slovenians joined the SNPJ lodges, and other ethnic groups had their own societies. Accordion music and polka dancing were often mainstays in the social life of a coal miner.

Most prevalent in Cherokee County were Methodist Episcopals, while Roman Catholic outnumbered other religions in Crawford County. This was the first time that the Methodist circuit riders traveled throughout the area, bringing the Christian message. Churches abounded. Children and adults attended numerous church services and Sunday School classes with the first Crawford County Sunday School held at Monmouth in 1866. Church groups for both men and women added to their social life.

The Miner's House

The miner's house at Miners Hall Museum has a long and varied history. The small, three-room house was built in Frontenac by the Cherokee & Pittsburg Coal & Mining Co., the coal branch of the Santa Fe Railroad.

1908: The earliest certifiable evidence of the house located at 107 North Depot Street, now Linn Street. It is thought the house predated this year and may have been built in 1906 and moved to this location in 1908.

1909: The Cherokee & Pittsburg Coal & Mining Company sold the house and lot to the Benelli family, who owned it until 1930.

1930: It was sold to Rose Bickerdike. The family owned it until 1962.

1962-1976: Changed hands several times.

1976: It was moved to Joplin Street in Pittsburgh to serve as an information center for the U.S. Bicentennial. Later, it became the office for an extermination business.

2004: The house was moved back to Frontenac. It was located behind Sacred Heart Catholic Church with the intention to make it into a small museum.

2012: The house was donated to Miners Hall Museum by the church and was moved to Franklin, where it stands today.

2017: Restoration began to return the house as near as possible to its original condition.

The miners rented their homes, paying as much as $8 to $10 to the coal company for rent per month. One 1902 account claimed a daily salary of $1.60 for a ten-hour shift. This small space was to accommodate a miner and his family. With no basement, the homes were heated by a single coal/wood-fired stove in the kitchen. "House coal" had to be paid for by the miners. Each house did have some room for a yard and vegetable garden. In most cases, indoor plumbing was non-existent -- at least in the typical coal miner's home. As there was no electricity, kerosene lamps provided light in the evenings. Privies were usually located at the back end of the lot, and alongside the coal shanty.

The reign of the coal companies brought a new economy. Railroads were built and private businesses thrived with theaters, butcher shops, blacksmiths and dry goods stores established to satisfy needs. Coal camps were built by coal companies to provide housing and a store for the miners close to the mines. Sometimes the communities were temporary, dependent upon the life of the mine. While the store and housing offered the necessities of life, the miners became enslaved when they could only purchase goods with their earned "scrip."

Privy

Typical of outdoor facilities used in the early 1900s, they were known as "one-holer" or "two-holers," depending on how many seats were available. Outhouses vary in design and construction. An outhouse was typically a structure separate from the main dwelling, yet close enough to allow easy access but far enough to minimize the smell. 

Old newspapers and catalogs from retailers specializing in mail order purchases, such as the Montgomery Ward or Sears Roebuck catalog, were common before toilet paper was widely available. Paper was often kept in a can or other container to protect it from mice, etc. The catalogs served a dual purpose, also giving one something to read. Old corn cobs, leaves, or other types of paper were also used.

U.S. President Calvin Coolidge had a window in his outhouse, but such accoutrements were rare.

Most contained two holes of different sizes -- one for adults and one for children. However, some large families would have multiple holes for use at the same time. 

The crescent moon cutout and the star cutout seen on the door of many outhouses goes back to Colonial times. In a time when few people could read, the crescent moon was the symbol for women while the star cutout was for men. The cutout also let light into the outhouse as there were usually no windows.

Most people had a covered pot (known as a "chamber pot") under the bed to go in during the night. Many outhouses had a bag of lime with a scoop. Every so often the owner would throw a scoop of lime down the holes to help "digest" the contents below.

J&W (Jackson & Walker) Mine #17

This mural depicts the beginning of a miner's day as they rode the coal cars down into the mines. The last view they had of the day was the beautiful countryside before being lowered into the depths of the mines into total darkness lit only by their carbide lamps. They spent the entire day working in the darkness -- much of the day on their knees. Their wives sewed inner tube pieces from car tires on the knees of their pants.