Tag: #MayorMcKune

Mayor Robert H. McKune lead Scranton through the Great Rail Road Strike of 1877 without the aid of federal troops. It was the only instance of this happening in Pennsylvania. The importance of having a center of government close to the Scranton area was demonstrated through the strikes, and led the final push for the area to separate itself from Luzerne County. On August 13, 1878, Lackawanna County was formed.

The Scranton City Guard would be transformed into the Thirteenth Regiment of the Pennsylvania National Guard during the summer of 1878. Today the regiment still exists as the 109^th Infantry Regiment. It has been involved in every conflict the United States has participated in since its creation in 1877, including the Spanish American War and both World Wars.

During the election of 1878, Terence V Powderly was elected mayor under the Greenback Labor Party. The strikers had used the motivation from the strikes to vote in the leader of the Knights of Labor in an effort to better their situation. The Knights of Labor’s primary demand was the creation of an eight-hour workday, but they also advocated for the end of child labor, a reformed income tax system, and companies operating under a cooperative.

Robert McKune died of Tuberculosis on October 11, 1894 while visiting his sister in Newburgh, New York. He would be transported back to the area to be buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Dunmore, Pennsylvania.

Stop in to the Scranton Public Library to see a selection of the documents from this series in person. They are in the display case located on the second floor entrance to the Reference Department.

Although the events of August 1^st through August 9^th were the height of the activity surrounding the Railroad strike, unrest would continue. Strikers continued to threaten destruction of property, or to harm those who returned to work until their demands were met. The military presence in the city shifted from trying to calm the strikers, to actively protecting those that were working and their work places. Multiple letters found in Mayor McKune’s documents show the continued strikes and fear of violence.

During the prolonged unease of the strikes, citizens of Scranton decided to create a permanent military presence in the city. The Scranton City Guard was comprised of over one hundred men from the city that would help keep the city safe and peaceful.  To house the guard, the Scranton Watres Armory was constructed. It would not be finished until January 31, 1878.

After weeks of unrest, the strikes in Scranton finally came to an end on October 16, 1877. The miners agreed to return to work without any victories. Their wages would continue to be the reduced rate that originally resulted in striking. By November, the city would no longer have the presence of troops from the state or federal level.

In the aftermath of the events of August 1^st, Alderman Patrick Mahon issued warrants against twenty-two members of the Scranton Citizen Corps. The group, which included William Walker Scranton, Ezra Ripple, and Wharten Dickson, were charged with willful murder of Charles Dunleavy, Steven Phillips, Patrick Langan, and Patrick Lane. When the arrest warrants were carried out on August 8^th, General Huidekoper sent troops to protect the men from being taken from their homes. A newspaper article from the Scranton Republican reported on the events on the morning of August 9^th.

In Mayor McKune’s documents, a letter written from Alderman Mahon showing his displeasure at the actions taken by General Huidekoper to block the arrests.

On August 10^th, the men were released on $3,000 bail to await their trial on November 26, 1877. Only six members of the Scranton Citizen Corps would appear at the trial in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Everyone who was arrested on the charge of willful murder was found not guilty due to the belief that the men had reacted in a heroic way when faced with a riot.

Only one item exists for August 1^st in Mayor McKune’s documents, a telegram from Governor Hartranft informing the Mayor that reinforcements would be in the city soon.

The lack of documents from August 1, 1877 is potentially the result of it being the most eventful day during the strikes. During the morning hours, a group of a few thousand workers began to assemble near the Silkworks in the south side of Scranton. A letter allegedly signed by William Walker Scranton threatening to cut the worker’s wages to thirty five cents a day soon made its rounds throughout the group. Already angry at the recent wage cuts, the strikers split into two groups. One was marching to the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Works, which was managed by Scranton, while the other group moved towards the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad shops downtown.

Mayor McKune, who had initially thought the gathering was more peace talks, alerted the Scranton’s Citizen’s Corp before meeting the group himself. He was able to briefly stop the progression of the group of strikers moving downtown in the intersection of Lackawanna and Washington Avenues. Aided by Father Dunn, a priest at St. Vincent Cathedral, McKune was able to calm the crowd for a brief moment before being attacked himself with a club held by one of the strikers.

By the time the Citizen’s Corps arrived on the scene, the Mayor and Father Dunn had already been attacked. Mayor McKune would give the order for the Corps to fire upon the crowd, which had previously declared him dead. After about three minutes, the shooting stopped and the strikers dispersed leaving four dead and many wounded. The exact numbers of wounded are unknown due to the strikers fears of being fired after confessing to being part of the strikers.

Mayor McKune’s documents on July 30, 1877 show a conflicting account of the day. Many people believed that the situation would remain peaceful, but a letter received by an anonymous source threatened fires being set at local coal mines in the coming days.

Many workers remained on strike, but some employees of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Rail Road returned to work. This gave hope to many citizens who began to hold meetings in order to pass motions and resolutions against the creation of a special police force by Mayor McKune. These documents were summarized in a letter to Mayor McKune by P. W. Stokes, a clerk.

Although the day remained peaceful, an anonymous letter claiming fires would be intentionally set at mine shafts in the area was left in the engine room of Staple and Fancy Dry Goods, Hosiery, Notions, &c. located on Main Street in Scranton. In communications between Mayor McKune and John Johnson, the chairman of the Esc. Committee of Miners and Laborers, it is determined that this is a false threat.

The rising tensions of July 27, 1877 are reflected in the letters and telegrams found in Mayor McKune’s papers.

On July 27^th, Mayor McKune met with the Brotherhood of Trainmen to discuss a potential return to work. Railway workers, firemen, brakemen, and mill workers accepted a return to work agreement for their wages before the most recent cut. The miners who worked for the coal companies refused these terms and continued to strike. Those still participating in the strike issued threats of violence against the railroad companies, coal companies, and those returning to work.

With these fears in mind, the Scranton Citizen’s Corps obtained permission from General Osborne to obtain arms. Minor acts by strikers, including turning off mine pumps to prevent flooding and threats, compounded these worries in the minds of those in charge of the companies and the city. Mayor McKune sent telegrams requesting assistance to Governor Hartranft, but he was not able to help at the time.

The events of July 26^, 1877 focused on preparing for the anticipated clashes between strikers, and the military presence in Scranton. The relatively calm day is reflected in Mayor McKune’s papers though a telegram to Governor Hartranft and letter from the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey.

Mayor McKune proposed a special police group, that would later be renamed the Scranton Citizen’s Corp, to help respond to the strikes. In order to sign up for the newly created police force, a citizen was required to be a businessman, be willing to defend the city, and keep the group a secret from other members of the community. Many people notified of its creation believed that such measures might further incite violence and refused to join. By the end of the day, 116 men had signed up and Ezra H. Ripple was elected captain of the Scranton Citizen’s Corps.

During these events, Mayor McKune contacted Governor Hartranft to let him know that troops would not be necessary in the city that day.

The potential property damage caused by the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 continued to weigh on the mind of those in the city. Mayor McKune received a letter from the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey stating that the city was responsible for any damage, violence, or injuries resulting from the strikes in Scranton. Similar letters would be issued from other railroad and coal companies throughout the day.

Mayor McKune’s papers related to the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, begin on July 25, 1877 with a proclamation issued by Mayor McKune and a telegram from Governor John F. Hartranft.

Railway workers and miners continued to strike and make demands for the increase of wages throughout July 25, 1877. Leaders of industry including William R. Storrs of Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad and William Walker Scranton of Lackawanna Iron and Coal refused citing the ongoing economic troubles resulting from the Panic of 1873.

Citizens of Scranton began to worry that family members vacationing elsewhere would not be able to return home due to the strikes. For the local officials, the fact that troops who had been previously protecting the city had been ordered to different parts of Pennsylvania to quiet the strikes happening there. This situation mixed with a lack of communication would lead to the violence and unrest in the coming days.

Fear of unrest resulted in Mayor McKune issuing a proclamation to close any location that sold liquor believing the lack of alcohol would deter the strikers from turning violent.

By 4 p.m., Mayor McKune secured support for the City in the form of General Edwin Sylvanus Osborne and the Third Division of the National Guard through communication with Governor John F. Hartranft.

In order to understand Mayor McKune’s papers on the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, the backgrounds of the major figured he corresponded with or about should be examined. Many of the figures are veterans of the Civil War or prominent businessmen from the history of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Where available, a photograph is included with a brief biography of each person. They are arranged in alphabetical order by last name below.

General Robert Morton Brinton
General Brinton was the commander of the First Division of the National Guard of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. During the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, he was sent from Pittsburgh to Scranton to impose martial law on the city.  He brought about 3,000 troops with him to accomplish his goal.

Governor John Frederick Hartranft

Governor John Hartranft was born in North Hanover Township, Pennsylvania. He briefly worked for railroad companies, his father’s real estate business, and the Pennsylvania Militia. During the Civil War, Hartranft was involved in the Battle of Antietam, Battle of Fredericksburg, Battle of Vicksburg, and more. He was appointed the commanding officer of the Old Capitol Prison and provost marshal during the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators. In Pennsylvania, he served as the Auditor General before being elected as Governor in 1872. During the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, Hartranft oversaw the organization of local militias to quiet the strikers. After his position of Governor, he was the US Postmaster, Port Collector of Philadelphia, and commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard. Governor Hartranft died in January of 1879.

General Edwin Sylvanus Osborne

A native of Bethany, Pennsylvania, General Osborne moved to Northeastern Pennsylvania to practice law in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In 1870, he was appointed to be major general of the National Guard, Third Division of Pennsylvania after his honorable discharge from the Union Army in July of 1965. After his involvement in the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, he was elected Republican Congressman, continued to practice law in Wilkes-Barre, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Ezra H. Ripple

Ezra H. Ripple was born in Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania. During the Civil War he was captured and spent three months in Andersonville Prison before being transferred to Florence Stockade. Ripple managed to escape the prison to be honorably discharged in 1865. After the War, he worked in the crockery business as a partner of the William Connell & Company. During the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, he was elected as the captain of the Citizens’ Corps and served as colonel when the corps was reorganized into a regiment of the Pennsylvania National Guard. He became the treasurer of Lackawanna County in 1879, and Mayor of Scranton in 1886. He died in November of 1909.

William Walker Scranton

William Walker Scranton was born in Augusta, Georgia, but moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1847. He was the manager of Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company, which he managed through the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. During that time period, he also allowed the Scranton Citizens’ Corps to store their arms in buildings he owned. After the strikes, Scranton founded the Scranton Steel Company and became the manager of the Scranton Gas and Water Company. He is buried in Dunmore Cemetery.