THE RAILROAD RIOTS of18

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1 THE RALROAD ROTS of18 Doug MacGregor Museum Educator, Fort Pitt Museum he Historical Society's noted that Pittsburgh was Library & Archives "such a scene of riot, arson -A. has a collection of 50 & and bloodshed as can never be erased from the memory of reports from the Allegheny f -mi it lift 1 County Coroner which detail in mfcv'xj its people." Labor historians deaths between September '\u25a0., recognize the event as a water and July 1878, many of shed in the struggle ofamerithem dating from the "Great can workers. t was in this Strike" the Railroad Riots "Great Strike" that labor of The documents were found the key to success discovered in July 1966 in the when challenging Big Business: solidarity. charred remains of a BURNNG OF UNON DEPOT DURNG THE RALROAD ROT JULY? --'/ KB PTTSBURGH. PA. stolen k car. Perhaps the thief had #1 The cause of the Railroad torched the vehicle to hide Many images were made of the confrontation and conflagration, Riots can be traced to the including any evidence of the crime, this print of the Union Depot burning. economic Panic of 1873 and but officers of the Pittsburgh the ensuing depression. Many Police Department were able to recover the historic documents from the trunk. Who stole the reports? Were they burned on purpose? Why did someone want them? There are many questions but few answers. businesses, including railroads, sought to retain capital byreducing employee wages. n 1877, railroads, still short ofcash, additionally instituted a 10 percent wage cut while increasing the workload. Lacking unionization, railway employees werepowerless to protest Eventually, the documents found their way to the Historical the 1873 wage cut, but the added cuts and workload of 1877 was Society where they are available to researchers. This July marks the 125th anniversary of the riots. As interesting more than they would tolerate. n mid-july 1877, railway workers walked off the job in Martinsburg, as the mystery surrounding their provenance may be, the papers W.V., blocking trains from entering or leaving. This are more important as a reminder of the violent clashes between protest erupted into a riot that destroyed railroad property. Word labor and management. Above all cities, Pittsburgh should of the workers' actions spread along the rails to Baltimore and remember this occasion, as it was here that the riots hit hardest, Pittsburgh, where railroad employees joined their fellow workers and more of her citizens were killed in an effort to raise wages, in walking off the job and blocking rail traffic. The strike continued reduce the workday, and improve deplorable working conditions. across the nation to major railroad hubs in Cleveland, Thomas A. Scott, then president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Chicago, Kansas City,St. Louis, Denver, and San Francisco. 10 WESTERN PENNSYLVANA HSTORY SUMMER 2002

2 and there lyingdead, upon the oaths *«\u25a0 and solemn affirmations of a^p i good and lawful men ofthe County aforesaid, who being sworn and affirmed, and charged to inquire, on the parpzpf the Commonwealth, when, where and how, and after wliat manner the said i/sil&is *i</n*e*«-i 22z. **<*^ came to /\u25a0 * -- death, do say, upon their oaths and affirmations aforesaid, that the said ' Andso the Jurors aforesaid, upon their qaths or)affl.rmations, as aforesaid, say thai, the aforesaidu&t*/e*z,0z*ri+s Jr??*c*zJt^ jorthe eouse aforesaid, inmanner and form aforesaid, came to.^!l& death, and not otherwise, Xa Whttiaolt as well ofthe aforesaid Coroner, we, the Jurors, have hereunto put our hands and seals on the day and year, and at the place above mentioned- * (Oft \u25a0jfidtc/a _(^) s DO & 3 The coroner's reports are similar for each victim.this one reads, "Unknown came to his death on July 22, 1877 near 28th St. By a Musket Ball Fired by Some Person or Persons Unknown to the jury in a riotcommenced at the Penna Rail Road Co." MEMORY 8 ARTFACT 11

3 z7 s = On the morning of July 19, protesters held up 1,500 railcars at the Pennsylvania Railroad station at 28th Street and Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh. When local officials were dispatched to the scene, they joined the ranks of the protesters; these were their neighbors, friends, and relatives striking, and they knew the miserable pay and conditions that they endured. The Pennsylvania Adjutant General sent 1,000 members of the state militia from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. The Pittsburghers greeted the arrival of the Philadelphians on July 21 with stones and namecalling. The Philadelphians responded by firing into the crowd, killing 20 and wounding many more. By firing on the troops, the Philadelphians provoked the anger of all Pittsburgh residents; women, children, and workers from other industries came to rally against them. The mob forced the militia to retreat into a railroad building. During the night, the well-armed mob increased to more than 20,000. After shooting at the cowering Philadelphians for several hours, they decided to burn the intruders out by lighting a freight car and sending itinto the building. The Philadelphians ran from This wooden billy club was used in the 1877 riot. This sterling silver teapot is part of a tea and coffee service presented to Allegheny City Mayor Ormsby Phillips by grateful constituents. Phillips placed a guard on the bridge connecting Allegheny City to Pittsburgh to protect his citizens during the Railroad Riot of the building as smoke and flames engulfed the structure. The militia retreated across the Allegheny River, where they made their way to Blairsville. Pittsburgh remained in a state of anarchy through July 22. Rioters destroyed storefronts and ransacked private houses. Peace was restored onlyafter federal troops were called in and occupied the city. The damage caused by the Railroad Riots exceeded $5 million. Twenty-six Pittsburghers lost their lives from Philadelphians' gunfire. Joseph Thomas, the Allegheny County coroner, along with a jury, issued a report detailing the manner of death for each victim, though many remained unidentified. Although the strike was eventually broken nationwide, the striking workers and their allies had succeeded in crippling the nation's largest industry. Workers found there was power in solidarity and collective action. n 1877, there were only three national labor unions; three years later, there were 18. Although these unions would be crippled following the Haymarket Affairof 1886 and the Homestead Strike of 1892, they remembered the lessons learned in 1877 and eventually succeeded indefending the rights of workers, w 12 WESTERN PENNSYLVANA HSTORY SUMMER 2002

4 The Opening ofeclectic's Second Gallery Located in the Strip District's 16:62 Design Zone Location... Location... Location... Eclectic Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of its second Pittsburgh location. The Galleryfeatures a fully equipped, custom framing atelier and fine art gallery. The new gallery is housed in a charming, century old commercial storefront located in the Strip District at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Butler Street at Doughboy Square. This second location extends the Gallery's Pittsburgh presence to reach artists and collectors on the east side of the river and provides convenient access to Pittsburgh designers and architects in the 16:62 Design Zone. We invite you to stop in and peruse our selection ofover 4,000 custom frame designs and view our collection of over 300 fine art paintings and limited edition graphics. FN AR1Q^ eclectic / Art &Artists Eclectic Art Gallery offers a truly e-klek-tik selection of fine art and objects of art for collectors, interior designers, and architects. We represent some of the finest artists of our time including: John Modesitt, Harry Holland, Henry LePetit, Hal Fielding, Peter Keil and Mike Welton. Visit Us On-Site &On-Line Call (412) for our exhibition schedule and hours of operation or to schedule an appointment. Or visitour web site for more detailed information about our art and artists and for details about the many benefits of membership inour Collectors Circle loyaltyprogram. ^WlRAMN(; 8275 Ohio River Blvd., Emsworth, PA rkeller@eclecticartgallery.com phom 3401 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA (412) fax:(412)

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