Mother Jones Tribute produced by Old St. Pat's  March 2019 Bravo Old St. Patrick's Church which produced the story of Mother Jones’ life struggle through narrative and song on Tuesday. Originally scheduled for Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the CSO strike led it to be transferred to Historic Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. It was "Mother Jones meets Broadway" with the talented musicians, singers, and dancers. The show beautifully conveyed her belief in the dignity of work and the rights of workers! Proud that our board members played a part in advising for the event. Brilliant renditions of all the labor songs. Only wish that it could be repeated. It was "Mother Jones meets Broadway" with the talented musicians, singers, and dancers. The show beautifully conveyed her belief in the dignity of work and the rights of workers! The show opened with our set of photos of workers including child laborers, in the early 20th century. Rosemary Feurer provided many of the photographs for the opening Montage. Photo from Ireland Consul General Chicago.

We were proud to march in 2 Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parades in 2019! Lots of love in Chicago. DSA members Nick Marquardt, Christian Rafferty and Ashley Yurek made the trek all the way from Green Bay to march with Mother Jones in the Chicago St Patrick’s Parade. AND !! even more love at the Southside St. Patrick's Day Parade: Daraijah Miller and Cora Gorman as they prepare to march with Mother Jones in the South Side St Pat’s Parade. Thanks! And what do you think of this new banner?! Marching with southside parade!

Mother Jones I-55 coalfield rest area marker, indoor exhibit on march to springfield, virtual tour of the Mother Jones Monument, Union Miners cemetery.  Don’t miss the photos and graphics– dedicated December 11, 2018 Above: Photo by Beth Kruse . The sun shone down on a glorious day for the unveiling of the new marker and indoor historical exhibit. Marker text by Elliott Gorn with assist by Rosemary Feurer, photo suggestion by Elliott Gorn. Design by Kate Klimut. Additional logistical support and committee work by David J. Rathke, Terry Reed, Jim Dixon, Stephanie Seawell Fortado Above: Cecil Roberts, President of United Mine Workers of America, cutting the ribbon for the marker. Above: Dedication of Mother Jones marker at I-55 Southbound Coalfield Rest Area. Over 70 people from around the state of Illinois as well as Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Indiana, celebrated this wonderful moment. We all repeated “Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living!” as the ribbon was cut by Cecil Roberts, President, United Mine Workers officiated. Thanks to everyone who attended. Michael Matejka photograph. Part of the crowd at I-55 Coalfield dedication Very grateful to Shane Austin and his group of apprentices/journeyman from Iron Worker Local 46 Springfield Illinois for installing our new historical marker at Northbound I-55 coalfield rest area, which is now ready for ribbon cutting. Thanks Shane Austin, Apprentice Kyle Spooner, Bryar Jennings, Sandra Miller,Journeyman Edward Ray Sandra Miller, by the way, is a former mine worker! Installation of southbound marker by Shane Austin Business Manager of Iron Workers Local 46 and crew Kyle Spooner, Apprentice Bryan Jennings, Apprentice Sandra Miller (former mine worker), Journeyman Edward Ray. Photo by Dave Rathke. Below: Cecil Roberts speaking at the dedication about Mother Jones Below: Erik Hostettler of United Staff Union of Illinois, on the importance of trade unions remembering their past: We Were Not Ladies, We Were Women indoor exhibit: After visitors encounter the large outdoor marker on I-55, they will be able to understand Mother Jones’ long legacy, and the activism of coalfield women with this exhibit. Team for indoor exhibit: Rosemary Feurer, Elliott Gorn, Stephanie Seawell Fortado, Greg Boozell, Sophia Varcados (NIU creative services), Kate Klimut, Ace Sign-Springfield Sean Burns' great-aunt Agnes Burns Wieck led the march to Springfield illustrated in the indoor marker. He spoke about how proud he is that her memory is imprinted in the exhibit. Elliott Gorn on the importance of remembering Mother Jones and her spirit. The quilt in the background was given to Agnes Burns Wieck, leader of the march to Springfield, by fellow members of the Women's auxiliary. Jack Dyer of the Mother Jones Foundation spoke with greetings and a short history of what the Foundation has done to keep the memory of Mother Jones active in the central Illinois area and to connect past and present. Thanks Jack and the Mother Jones Foundation for the contribution to the marker, and to keeping the faith all these years! Cecil Roberts honors the poeple who made the marker. Jim Dixon spoke on behalf of Springfield & Central Illinois Trades and Labor Council, which helped fund the marker and exhibit, and reminded us how necessary it is to have women lead and the spirit of Mother Jones. The new president of Springfield’s Trades and Labor is Diana Carlile , but she was out of town. Thanks Jim Dixon for your support and sentiments. Photo by Mike Matejka. Judy Simpson spoke on behalf of the Illinois Labor History Society, which helped to fund the marker. She discussed the ILHS’ mission, to preserve and promote labor history, and expressed continued commitment to that mutual goal. Judy is also a representative of Laborers Local 773 and a board member of the Mother Jones Heritage Project.\ Stu Fliege of the Illinois State Historical Society assured us that the markers change culture and build empathy for their subjects. This is one of 400 ISHS Markers We now have 2 that do that well as profile a major national historical figure. Photo by Mike Matejka, Rosemary Feurer told the group that the next step for the exhibit was to link it to an interactive story-board tour for locations in the area. She distributed materials that will be profiled on the tour, including this amazing sketch by Bill Yund. More on this soon! Elliott Gorn and Cecil Roberts after the ribbon cutting. Elliott Gorn, author of Mother Jones, America’s Most Dangerous Woman .Photo by Mike Matejka.

This summer I was invited to give a talk on Mother Jones at Dublin's GPO, the famous post office where the Easter Rising was centered. Kate Klimut and Kim Archer, two friends of the project, and Dennis Surgalski, who was so generous with his support of the marker on I-55, came along. Kim Archer was a key organizer and President of the faculty union at SIU-E. First, we went to the Durham Miners' Big meeting, hearing Jeremy Corbyn and meeting with the women who connected with Mother Jones during the great 1984 strike against neoliberalism. Then we proceeded to Cork, where we brought "mini-mother" to the streets. The "mini-Mother" was Kate's idea. What a creative mind. Here are some gallery of images of our trip. We take off, with our first stop at the Durham events. . The 2nd to last photo above is her with Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the background speaking. The Durham Miners Gala was revived in recent years. How did we get here? Well, we were first introduced to the Durham festival by Dave Hopper at the Cork Spirit of Mother Jones Festival in 2012. Dave Hopper ordered our film, Mother Jones, America's Most Dangerous Woman. Hopper attended the Cork Festival regularly. Then he died an untimely death, and I regretted not having gone to the festival when he invited me. Dave Hopper was one-of-a-kind,  fourth generation miner who became General Secretary of the Durham Miners’ Association during the heart of the miners battles with Margaret Thatcher, when she determined to wipe the socialist influence by destroying the miners union in Great Britain. The big meeting survived after Thatchers attack on the Miners Union thanks to the work of Dave Hopper. It’s success has contributed and reflected the rise of Corbyn. Hopper saw Mother Jones as part of a larger movement for workers rights, a cultural icon. So we brought her back to the festival! Dave Hopper is honored in the banner on the right. Corbyn topped off a list of speakers from the trade union movement who connected the tradition of the Durham Miners Festival to the present. Corbyn: In every socialist, two flames burn. One for the past, our debt to those who have sacrificed and died to keep the flame burning. Another flame for the way forward, to bring justice to our class. He talked about the need to teach Labor history in the schools so that every child would know this rich history. The history of the labor movement in Great Britain is tied to the early struggles of the Miners Union. At this meeting, Labour Party and Trade Union Council members apologized for not keeping true to the heritage of socialist struggle as a legitimate part of the trade union struggle. The Labour Party flame came from the trade union movement. The two fiery souls, Betty Cook and Ann Scargill, in these photos above, were key fighters of the 1984 Miners Strike, and are also responsible for the development of these banners in the Durham Miners Gala tradition. At the Miners Gala, above, where this banner was placed in a hall of honor in the Durham Cathedral. Rosemary Feurer, Betty Cook, Ann Scargill, Dennis Surgalski , and Kate Klimut, where Mothers banner was marched with an estimated 250000 crowd. Ann and Betty were leaders of Women in the 1984 1985 Miners struggles Durham Miners' Gala. We are affirming the transnational bonds of solidarity. Above: From the Bells of Shandon to the streets of Cork! We discovered a marker to an almshouse Mary Harris was sure to have passed. The last photo is at the location most of those with the closest knowledge think was the area she was born. The marker photos are of Rosemary, Kim, Kate, Dennis and of Ger O'Mahony of the festival. We also have her at the River Lee. In Inchigeelah, where Mother's Cotter ancestors lived. The red building is the church where her parents were married. The next slide is one of her ancestors. In Dublin, at the statues of James Connolly and Jim Larkin, trade unionists who were comrades of Mother Jones, and last one is me speaking at the GPO. I was grateful for the opportunity. The image of Kate and me with arms raised, Larkin style, is at Liberty Hall, the Headquarters for SIPTU, which also is the site that played a role in the Easter Rising. The Connolly statue is right across from it. Last year, they put up a Mother Jones quote on the outside of the hall!

Since 2015, Mother Jones has become a growing part of the Regina V. Polk Women’s Leadership Conference, one of the great educational experiences available to emerging women labor activists in Illinois, the Midwest and beyond. I was happy to be invited to be a part of this by Director Emily LaBarbera Twarog. She, along with  co-director Stephanie Seawell Fortado, Judy Ancel and Leah Fried,  Latisa Kindred and others bring heart and soul for this school. Emily and Stephanie have recently joined the board of the Mother Jones Heritage Project. A Polk School alumna, Judy Simpson, is also on the board of the Project. Mother Jones calls women to see a tradition of struggle while they face the future. I was thrilled when Emily said that the Mother Jones part of the education has been consistently the highlight of the schools. This year I was able to see the women perform Mother Jones, as well as learn and reflect on her meaning for today. The event was held at the monument. I constructed  a speech from fragments of Mother Jones’ speeches pieced together. Much of it not been previously published, but the words are all from her. This was a heartfelt version of it by these women! This was followed by the women presenting 40 quotations from Mother Jones. Some of these are also newly discovered quotes. Mother Jones’ words, the participants agree, still resonate and call to us. Some of the others, including my favorite, “I am an organizer, an agitator, and aggravator. I act because I love humanity.” was one that I uncovered in 2014 and has become more well-known since it was placed on the monument donors’ kiosk. The tradition of bringing wreaths to the Monument was revived by the Mother Jones Foundation in the 1980s. The one that Polk School brought is one of the loveliest and largest I’ve seen. Women wrote messages on the wreath to communicate their connections to this story. Wreath for Mother Jones Monument. Wreath for Mother Jones Monument. This is a clip of what some of the women telling us what they wrote. Here are some more photos of Mother Jones and the Polk School women. Photo Credit: Emily LaBarbera Twarog More than 40 women attended the school. Let Us Rise!

Daniel Mulhall, Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States, was in St. Louis last week. An unexpected break in his schedule allowed an opportunity, arranged by Brian O’Brien, Ireland’s Consul General to the Midwest, to visit the Mother Jones Monument in Mt. Olive Illinois, about an hour’s drive from St. Louis.  It was a brief meeting, only about an hour, but it packed a punch! Mulhall’s mission was to learn more about the history of this renowned figure and the special place where she is buried. I was honored to host him at the site, and even more pleased with his commitment to passing along the story and promoting our project’s mission. O’Brien had previously graced us with his presence at the monument and at the dedication of our marker on I-55 (near Route 66) Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, 1837-1930, was born in Cork, Ireland and was once known as the “most dangerous woman in America” as she fought for labor rights. Above: Ambassador Mulhall films a presentation that will be posted to his twitter feed or blog supporting knowledge of Mother Jones. At Union Miners Cemetery, Mt. Olive Illinois, May 4 2018. Photo Credit: Cindy Ladage. Ambassador Mulhall was impressed with the personal story of Mary Harris Jones, and of her role in United States history. He remarked that he had been unfamiliar with her before the visit, but found her a truly extraordinary figure. “It’s hard for us to contemplate the suffering” Jones endured as she experienced the Great Hunger, then further hardships as an immigrant in the United States. It’s important to see that she did not give up, he suggested, and seemed to have an “indefatigable spirit.” Above: Ambassador Mulhall summarizes his findings on Mother Jones after the visit to the monument. Consul General O’Brien and Ambassador Mulhall started brainstorming at the site about how they could help us bring more attention to this remarkable woman.  Mulhall asked, “Your organization has applied for a grant from the Embassy, I understand?” I replied, “Yes we have.” He then casually announced, without skipping a beat: “Well I’m telling you right now that we have awarded that grant.” We were surprised and delighted; we learned later that O’Brien had in part set up the meeting to enable this announcement. The grant will include placing the Republic of Ireland as a sponsor for our next historical marker on northbound I-55. Mulhall attended University College Cork where he received a Masters degree in history.  He was the first-generation in his family to attend college. We heard his story of becoming a union organizer in the Foreign Service. Below is an excerpt of that. Mulhall regularly blogs to de-mystify the job of Ambassador and to educate about the culture and history of Ireland. He tweets poetry and  comments on history and literary works with ease. He said that he would contribute a blog or tweet about his visit. We will post it to our social media. Brian O’Brien, Ireland’s Consul General to the Midwest; Ed Becker, Union Miners Cemetery Board President, Daniel Mulhall, Ireland’s Ambassador to the USA; Rosemary Feurer, Mother Jones Heritage Project; Mike Katchmar, Mt. Olive Union Miners Cemetery board photo credit: Kate Klimut Ed Becker, President of Union Miners Cemetery board presented Mulhall with the Miners’ Angel CD he produced of Mother Jones songs.  Mulhall was truly enthused by the CD, recognizing some of the artists such as Andy Irvine, who performed at the 2012 inaugural Cork Spirit of Mother Jones Festival. He told Becker that this is exactly the sort of items he loves to receive from his visits. Above: Ambassador Mulhall and Rosemary Feurer in front of the Virden Martyrs monument, which was erected in 1899, and gave birth to the Union Miners Cemetery. Photo credit: Kate Klimut. Above: Ed Becker, Union Miners Cemetery Board President, Mt. Olive, Illinois; Daniel Mulhall, Ireland’s Ambassador to the USA; Rosemary Feurer, Mother Jones Heritage Project; Judy Simpson, Mother Jones Heritage Project and Illinois Labor HIstory Society credit: Kate Klimut Also present at the meeting were: Judy Simpson, board member of the Mother Jones Heritage Project; and Kate Klimut, project volunteer; Mike Katchmar, treasurer of the cemetery board. Simpson remarked that the visit was an unforgettable emotional touchstone for her. Above: Ed Becker, President of the Union Miners Cemetery Perpetual Care board, looks on as Ambassador Mulhall discusses Mother Jones. At Union Miners Cemetery, Mt. Olive, Illinois. Ed presented Mulhall with a copy of the CD he produced, Miners' Angel. Photo Credit: Kate Klimut Mayor Skertich arranged a visit to the small Mt. Olive Mother Jones Museum. There Mulhall took much interest in the boards currently on display that were from Cork’s Spirit of Mother Jones Festival.

One hundred years ago,   Mother Jones and Irish feminist rebel Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington spoke at a what was considered a subversive meeting in San Francisco, on a mission to free an Irish-American labor activist. War had created revolutionary stirrings across the globe. These women, both born in County Cork, carried on in a rebel tradition. This year their memories will be joined in two events in Ireland. It was my pleasure to meet Hanna’s granddaughter Micheline at the Chicago Irish American Heritage Center last fall, and see how much the rebel spirit of her grandmother is with her. Micheline is a retired Galway botanist who took on university discrimination against women; she sees it as her duty to pass the torch along. Micheline was touring the U.S. in a whirlwind retracing of Hanna’s campaign for Ireland’s independence a century ago. She brought a small film crew with her; you can learn a little more about that project here. Earlier this year, Micheline sought to put women back into the celebration of the Irish independence by reenacting one of the more dramatic moments of her mother’s activism in the suffrage campaign. Left: : Micheline studies some of the exhibit displays from Cork at the Irish American Heritage Center, Chicago, Illinois, October 2017. “I wonder if Hanna and Mother Jones met,” she asked. Credit: Eddie Mullarkey One of the first questions Micheline asked me, on seeing the exhibit on Mother Jones at the Irish American Heritage center, was, “did they meet?” I didn’t know but speculated that the campaign to free Tom Mooney would have been one way they would have met up. I did a bit of research and checked my archive of materials, and sure enough, found at least this instance. First, a little information about how Mother and Hanna shared the stage. Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington was on a tour of the U.S. to publicize the cause of free Ireland. She spoke to packed audiences across the United States. Two years before, her pacifist husband had been brutally assassinated in the Easter Rising. Hanna and her husband Frank were also close friends of Mother Jones’ friend, James Connolly, and they had participated in the 1913 Dublin workers lockout/uprising. Like Connolly, she connected workers issues with the struggle for a republic. And Connolly was influenced by her and her husband to include women’s suffrage in the proposed constitution for the new republic. But in this case, she sought to join the cause of labor’s political prisoners who were also Mother Jones’ special cause. Above: Tom Mooney, 1882-1942. Photo ca. 1910, from Wikipedia commons. Tom Mooney’s name isn’t well known today, but in the period from World War I to World War II, he was a household name to labor activists. He was the most famous political prisoner in the U.S.  Mother Jones had always liked this Irish-American socialist labor militant, very much indeed. Mooney, like her, sought to use labor organizing to take on entrenched power structures. He had organized the International Workers Defense League to help workers with legal assistance when arrested during strikes; Mother Jones loved the idea, and thought it held a key to a more militant labor movement. Above: Beating the Drums of War. Here is a war preparedness ad during WWI.  “Only the strong are safe.”' Mooney’s talent as a labor organizer made him the target of the power structure of San Francisco. After a bomb exploded and killed 10 people and injured 40 more during a 1916 war preparedness parade, business leaders saw an opportunity to get rid of the most effective labor organizer in the area and helped to frame him for the deaths with perjured testimony. San Francisco preparedness parade. A bomb killed 10 people and injured more than 40 when it was thrown at the parade. Above: San Francisco preparedness parade. A bomb killed 10 people and injured more than 40 when it was thrown at the parade. By 1918, Jones, Eugene Debs, and others were fighting to save Mooney from the hangman’s noose. Official labor leaders were slow to take up the fight. The American Federation of Labor decision to go all out for war fever meant they sought distance from radicals. Mother Jones had shifted from a strong anti-militarism to mild endorsement of the war effort, but she supported the cause of labor militants like Mooney, and constantly was condemned for stirring up strikes in wartime. She was one of the most tireless speakers on Mooney’s behalf after he was sentenced. Above: Handbill for the Mooney meeting. Hannah Sheehy-Skeffington was a heroine of Irish suffrage movement and the Irish rebellion. Credit: Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington The meeting at which Mother and Hanna spoke, in fact, was part of a huge international outcry that likely saved Mooney’s life, but failed to win his release. Mooney languished in jail until 1939, when another World War was underway. He was so sick from his prison experience that he never recovered and dies in 1942. A massive funeral for him was held at the same auditorium where Mother and Hanna spoke. Above: Meeting Advertisement, Oakland Tribune, April 15, 1918. Drawing wartime patriotism to their cause, the meeting sponsors sought make it seem as though they were patriotic by supporting the President’s judgment that condemned labor leader Tom Mooney should be given a new trial. Wilson was pressured by labor to show that the country was not an autocratic government that used repression to send labor activists to their death. But while he saved Mooney from hanging, Wilson’s government was sending intelligence agents to track the speakers. The meeting at San Francisco Auditorium featured two County Cork women together in defense of Tom Mooney, Irish American labor activist who faced the death penalty. President Wilson, facing a public outcry, had actually publicly questioned the fairness of the trial. Wilson was trying to keep labor in his pro-war camp. It wasn’t working too well. Wilson, in a highly unusual intervention, soon helped to get the sentence commuted to life imprisonment. The goal of the meeting, though, was a new trial, which was denied. The newspaper reports on this 1918 meeting seem designed to diminish both Mother and Hanna. Wars are sometimes the handmaiden of revolutions, but they are also the justification for terrific suppression of dissent. Both were occurring in the cauldron of the professed war for democracy; fear of real democracy was the main concern of business and government. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Hanna refused to stand for the Star-Spangled Banner, and that people left when they couldn’t hear Mother’s voice, a voice renowned for decades as carrying across large crowds.  You can see the article here. Above: Newspaper account of the April 16, 2018 event differs from a military intelligence report account. Comparing the two makes it doubtful that Mother had lost her voice. Credit: San Francisco Chronicle, April 17, 1918 Standing in stunned observation at the meeting, however, was a War Department Military Intelligence Division surveillance agent, who reported another version of that meeting. Lieutenant Rolin G. Watkins wrote back to Washington D. C. that Mother Jones spoke for a very long time to an audience that was as captivated as ever by her, until she took on the subject of the military and its use against U.S. workers. Watkins recommended that the U.S. government and local authorities prevent Jones from ever speaking again.* The April 1918 Mooney meeting led U.S. security forces to escalate their efforts to derailing both women’s effectiveness. Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington strongly doubts that her grandmother refused to stand for the Star-Spangled Banner. After all, her tour was meant to gain U.S. support for Irish independence. Micheline writes, “I think it was support for the Mooney that resulted in Hanna losing favour in the city.” Micheline notes that “the day after the event, Hanna again filled the huge Dreamland Auditorium where she had drawn huge crowds in 1917. But a week later, she was arrested for speaking against the British plan for conscription in Ireland and shortly after, the Dreamland Auditorium was refused her.” Above: Dr. Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium location of the great Tom Mooney meeting April 2018. Credit: Donagh McKeown Above: Undated photo of the interior of the Civic Auditorium, which was filled for the Tom Mooney event in 1918. Mooney’s memorial in 1942 filled the auditorium again. He had languished in prison for 2 decades. We don’t know whether this was the only meeting of these two women.  But we do know that others joined them together in their memory.  Mother Jones was joined with Hanna in R.M. Fox’s 1935 book, Rebel Irishwomen. While most people knew little of Mother Jones before the Cork festival revived her memory, R. M. Fox, a historian of the Irish left, collected the stories of Irish woman who he believed merited the designation of “rebel.”   Fox was married to Cork-born children’s author Patricia Lynch.  Fox’s depiction of Hanna emphasizes her bravery, her steely determination, both characteristics that he also associated with Mother Jones.  Hanna  faced down soldiers and bayonets, just like Mother did, with that Cork rebel spirit. This year, Mother Jones and Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington will be joined again when Dublin’s GPO Witness History Museum is hosting a series of lectures on the Irish Women who were included in R. M. Fox’s book. I am proud to represent Mother in this series, though I don’t know if I’ll be able to deliver it in person. This year, the Cork Spirit of Mother Jones Festival has invited Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington to be a speaker at their event.  I am proud to have done my part in bringing Micheline to Cork. * Thanks to Ger O’Mahony and Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington for information used in this blog. Ger pointed me back to Elliott Gorn’s book on Mother Jones for the military surveillance record. As always Gorn’s book is packed with goodies. Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington’s chapter in Rebel Irishwomen Mother Jones chapter in R.M. Fox’s Rebel Irishwomen

#noborders for justice for Mother Jones, who supported the Mexican Revolution. Thanks to Frosso Tsouka director of the great film about Greeks in Colorado Coalfield Strike http://ludlow.gr/. She visited the Yuma Arizona Territorial Prison and found an exhibit that included Mother and her efforts to draw attention to the imprisoned anarchist Magon brothers, Mexican revolutionaries. Mother Jones launched a campaign to free them.She sent us these images from her visit. We've posted it on our mapping Mother Jones LINK ON OUR WEBSITE ht The prison museum IS HERE:: http://www.yumaprison.org/notable-inmates.html Yuma prison entrance Mexican Revolutionary Ricardo Magon. Mother Jones sought to draw attention to their cause. Display Yuma Prison Museum

People waited in lines to get their photos taken with Mother at the labor rally against the Janus case. Here are a small number of their photos. Thanks for United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, and Allied Workers Local 11 for the generator loan and to Jim Dixon for the ass ist.

We are proud to announce our new I-55 Southbound Coalfield Marker and indoor exhibit. The new marker is intended to draw attention to the vital history that exists in what might seem like an ordinary stretch of the interstate highway. The marker and indoor exhibit at the Coalfield Rest Area pay tribute to the role of Illinois coal miners and highlight how miners and their families fought for the eight-hour day, against child labor, for a living wage and against wage theft. Both the marker and exhibit highlight the important role of Illinois coal miners’  heroine, Mother Jones, a Cork-born Irish immigrant. The marker, unveiled. Joe Rathke photo. The indoor interpretive. Mike Sheridan Photo. Dedicated during a Dec. 11 ceremony, the marker is located on I-55 southbound at the busy Coalfield Rest Area (mile marker 65), about 15 miles south of Springfield on a stretch of the interstate that is also alongside historic Route 66. Over one million people stop here every year. It is equipped with picnic grounds and a walking path. It is a great pleasure to acknowledge the collaborations and contributions of others, to give credit to those who steps we follow as well as those who did the hard work for this project and celebration. How it Happened The coalfield marker was suggested years ago by Dave Rathke (my spouse),  Mother Jones Heritage Project board member . Dave’s creativity and commitment to public history and specifically to this marker idea kept this project going. Dave is constantly thinking about the relationship of history to movement building. Salute, and credit, goes to him. Of course, millions of people went to that rest area, but only Dave felt it was possible and he also aimed to make it happen. I doubt I would have pursued it if I had not attended to the 2012 inaugural Spirit of Mother Jones Cork Festival. Along with Elliott Gorn, Marat Moore,  and Kaiulani Lee we helped to dedicate the marker in Cork. Just before the festival, Margaret Fulkerson of the Working Women’s History Group and Illinois Labor History Society went to Cork, and she brought back the cast of their marker. Margaret, Marat, and Elliott are on the Mother Jones Heritage Project board, a testament to the formative role of Cork in our own development, which continues a trans-Atlantic cultural cooperation for the promotion of knowledge about Mother Jones and the history of social and economic justice that shaped both countries. Our board member Saul Schniderman, (also Labor Heritage Foundation board member) continues to school me and our board on the critical cultural importance of markers. He located and placed the Maryland marker to Mother Jones. Making culture, he tells us, is an activist project. After the 2012 inaugural Spirit of Mother Jones Festival, I came back and with the vital encouragement of Margaret Fulkerson, Marat Moore, Saul Schniderman, decided to pursue this as a public history project, and so Cork became a catalyst for what became the Mother Jones Heritage Project. A grant from Northern Illinois University’s Great Journeys Program  got the project off the ground. This grant funded a graduate student to help me explore how best to pursue this as a public history project. Museum, trails, markers, better website? We researched the best means and came up with an extensive plan. Most evidence suggested Chicago as the best place to do this project, but I was committed to working with people in the area in which Mother Jones was buried.  I was so lucky to have the bright and talented Robert Glover as a paid graduate assistant because of NIU’s Great Journeys funding. As part of that work, Robert produced the initial application for a marker and indoor exhibit for both the Southbound and the Northbound Coalfield Rest areas. He did so much more work on the infrastructure and research of this project in a year’s time. So I thank NIU for helping to  make this happen. We thank the Illinois Department of Transportation for granting the permanent license for both the indoor exhibit and outdoor marker at both North and South I-55, and especially Michael Staab who has worked with us through this process. The advent of a Mt. Olive-based Mother Jones Museum caused us to put off the coalfield rest area as we engaged in fundraising and development of the museum. We also deferred attempting funding through what then existed, Illinois tourism grants, because one was needed for the cemetery restoration. But this year we decided this marker’s time had come. Marker Funders, Sponsors, and Touchstones Dennis Surgalski, who is a retired schoolteacher on a modest income, demonstrated a commitment to this history; his generosity is a major reason we were able to produce the marker.  He is the son of an immigrant coal miner, Benjamin Surgalski, who met Mother Jones when he was a boy and whose memory he carried forth. Illinois Labor History Society was also a financial sponsor of the marker. Mike Matejka of the ILHS spoke at the dedication ceremony of the need for more markers that profile workers story. Mike Matejka also helped save us the terrific installation cost by arranging with LIUNA Local 1084 (discussed below) Mother Jones Foundation has for 33 years worked to promote this history and the folks there have provided a base of supporters for the our project and a resource for us. The recent work of Terry Reed, Jim Dixon, Jack Dyer, Jody Hogge, David Lasley, Al Pieper, Deb Russell,  Don Green, James Hade have been a touchstone for our project. Mike Prehoda helped us with JULIE for the installation. The Mother Jones Foundation  raised some funds for the marker project last year, but in an effort to help the museum, agreed to donate those funds to the museum. Nonetheless their support for this project deserves hearty thanks and recognition. We are also grateful that the Illinois State Historical Society sponsored the marker as one of their marker series. Terry Reed has been a friend and  project resource, helping me to make sense of things many times. I want to give him a shout out for being there during a very tough year. Design, Development, Installation Kate Klimut worked as coordinator and designer for the project, and brought a fabulous spirit of humor and collaboration. Kate worked with artist Lindsay Hand to develop two of the images shown in the gallery below. There is a lot that goes into design, both technical and artistic, but also coordination, with attention to detail and multiple project skills, and we are grateful to her for the amount of time she put into this coordination. She colorized the photo of the miners on the indoor exhibit, vectored the images, and so much more.  She worked on the initial indoor exhibit. She is a very talented person. Lindsay Hand is in love with this project, and her enthusiasm bolsters all of our spirits. She did sketch work for a tiny stipend. We are truly grateful. The Mother Jones with children and iconic Mother Jones was here is taken from a woodcut print.  We are hoping to use her Mother Jones Was Here in other applications in the future. Lindsay is excited to be a part of sharing labor history. The outdoor marker text received feedback and revisions from board’s historian advisors Priscilla Long, Elliott Gorn, and our board members Marat Moore, Saul Schniderman, Dave Rathke, Margaret Fulkerson, Judy Simpson. We thank them heartily for that input. Kate Klimut also worked those words over. Northern Illinois University funded the indoor exhibit production and checked and worked on the outdoor design as well in late stages. We worked closely with Sophia Varcados and Mariano Spizzirri of the Office of Creative Services. We are grateful for this institutional support. Jim Schoppman installed the indoor exhibit, and we thank him for making that look easy. Credit: Kate Klimut Jared Volkmar, Business Agent of Laborers International Union of North America Local 1084 agreed to organize a team to install the outdoor marker without charge. Thanks to Mike Matejka of LIUNA for this connection. Jared was supportive as we confronted the glitches that are sometimes determined to happen despite all our careful planning. When those glitches prevented installation, Jared put it on this temporary footing so that we could have our celebration. The marker will be on a 45 degree angle that abuts the round concrete planter when permanently installed. Photo Credit: Mike Matejka. Illinois Humanities Funds Grant to Accompany Marker and Interpretive Exhibit At the unveiling we gratefully announced that  Illinois Humanities has awarded us an action grant for “Stories from the Coalfields,” and that is why they are listed on the indoor exhibit. This will make the small exhibit interactive, inviting stories about Mother Jones and the vibrant history beyond the highway.  It will give access to material that can be downloaded in audio files and  mini-tours. We will make an effort to tell the often very dramatic stories beyond this site, of the miners and their families, of stories that will engage and resonate, of women like Agnes Burns Wieck and Emma Cumerlato, as well as the even more hidden stories of African-American miners. We thank Illinois Humanities for their vote of confidence in our project and Matt Meacham for attending our dedication and for his assistance. Thanks to our board and Kate Klimut for suggestions and critical feedback on the application. Irish Consulate Joins Dedication Celebration Special December 11. Because in many ways we owe the marker inspiration to the Cork Festival, we are so pleased that Brian O’Brien, Ireland’s Consul General to Chicago and the Midwest USA, enthusiastically joined the dedication festivities. Together with Brigid Duffy, a representative of the Chicago Irish American Heritage Center, he also made a wreath presentation at Mother Jones Monument in Mt. Olive. O’Brien expressed his gratitude to Mt. Olive for cherishing the memory of Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, who chose to be buried there in tribute to the role of ordinary people in changing history. Photo Credit: Henry Fulkerson. Above: Consul General O’Brien translated Mother Jones’ most well-known quote, “Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living,” into Irish Gaelic, to great applause from the dedication audience. He also talked about how important Mother Jones memory is in these times. At the Rest Area, he quipped that Mother Jones’ presence would transform this rest area into a “DO NOT REST!” area. He said he appreciated that the exhibit and marker will allow “future generations to reflect on this great Cork-born activist” who “should not be forgotten either in Ireland or in the United States.” O’Brien noted that while Illinois residents will be celebrating their Bicentennial, Ireland is celebrating its Centenary. “One of the key figures of Ireland’s 1916 Easter Rising that established our country was James Connolly, who was for a time in the United States and became friends with Mother Jones,” he said, adding the connection to the Centenary history is important to Ireland. O’Brien said Ireland is trying to live by values that Mother Jones would endorse, those of human rights and respect for diversity. He also applauded the growing ties between the Spirit of Mother Jones Cork Festival and the Mother Jones Heritage Project. We extend our thanks to others who took the time to speak at or attend the dedication event, and whose commitment to this history we find strength. Amy Rueff of the Illinois AFL-CIO expressed the idea that the marker would help those unfamiliar with Mother Jones and labor history to encounter it with their families. William Furry, executive director of the Illinois State Historical Society, discussed the new marker to Eugene Debs in Woodstock, Illinois, and the idea that these kinds of markers help us move toward a more vibrant “people’s history.” Mike Matejka of the Illinois Labor History Society discussed the idea of sponsoring more markers to introduce this history. Alimyon Allen of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s office voiced the Senator’s support for the Mother Jones Heritage Project efforts. UMWA District 12 President Steve Earle wanted to come to the event, but negotiations prevented his participation.We hope to have the UMWA for the dedication of the Northbound Marker. Finally, we thank those who attended  the Monument and Marker dedications. We were heartened that Rick Hargett (below with O'Brien) was inspired to donate $500 toward the Northbound marker. We are tallying up the mostly small contributions to that effort and will announce where we stand soon. We wish we could put all contributors on the marker, but we will give an update on that effort soon. We were all in a celebration mood. Henry Fulkerson photo. Henry Fulkerson photo. Thanks to Margaret Fulkerson (above, right, with Brigid Duffy) for working with the Irish American Heritage Center on representation and the Ireland Consulate, Ger O’Mahony for feedback on that process. Thanks to Brigid Duffy, below, for performing Mother Jones, including a jig! Photo credit: Henry Fulkerson Photo Credit: Joseph Rathke Thanks to Dave Rathke, Kate Klimut, Lisa Daub, Joseph Rathke, Margaret Fulkerson, Henry Fulkerson, for logistical arrangements for the celebration. Thanks to Ireland Consulate for much assistance in making arrangements. Thanks to Dennis Surgalski for last minute help. And thanks to those who shared their photos: Henry Fulkerson, Carl Green, Mike Matejka, Mike Sheridan, Kate Klimut, R. Dale Hawkins, Joseph Rathke. “Pray for the Dead, Fight Like Hell for the Living translated into Irish Gaelic, thanks to Ger O’Mahony of the Cork Mother Jones Festival. The wreath was donated by the Irish American Heritage Center. Henry Fulkerson photo. Terry Reed of the Mother Jones Foundation speaks of their organizations years of work to keep the flame alive. Henry Fulkerson photo. Rosemary Feurer and Kate Klimut. Credit: Mike Sheridan.

In January, when the great women's protest marches were held, Elliott Gorn, biographer of Mother Jones, wrote to us lamenting that Mother Jones wasn't on the scene. Well, board member Dave Rathke had a plan for that! For years, Dave has loved the Scabby the Rat inflatables on picket lines. He was determined to get a giant Mother Jones for parades and marches. Kate Klimut donated the design and coordination of production with Big Sky Balloons, the same firm that produced Scabby the Rat. Thanks to generous donations for this start-up from the following unions and central bodies:   UAW Local 1268, Belvidere, Illinois; Illinois Education Association Staff Organization, National Staff Organization, United Union Roofers Local 11, Chicago, Illinois;  Rockford United Labor AFL-CIO, Illinois Valley Labor Council and Illinois Valley Building Trades Council. This inflatable was designed to accommodate different messages, whether about immigrants, women, resistance, labor rights etc.  This inflatable is manageable with an electrical outlet or small generator, and you can see that at 12 foot tall, she won't be missed! Full size in less than a minute! Email or call us if you want her to visit!

Our May Day celebration at the Museum drew dozens of visitors from as far away as Melbourne Florida, Michigan, Peoria, Chicago and Indiana. Despite pouring rain on Saturday we had a great time and renewed our spirit by remembering the past. The highlight of the event was the unveiling of new exhibits, with the center of it all the new art We Want Freedom, by Lindsay Hand. The Mother Jones Heritage Project contracted this art for the museum. Rosemary Feurer and Kate Klimut worked closely with Lindsay, and we were so thrilled she could make it to the opening of the exhibit. Above: We want Freedom, by Lindsay Hand. In third photo is Kate Klimut, who worked closely with Lindsay. The research for the art was by Rosemary Feurer Many commented about the great food at Tillie’s. If you are in the area, be sure to stop there or at other businesses in Mt. Olive like B&K bakery. Kate Klimut created this ad for the Tillie's event. We were happy to have Mari-lynn Evans, the award-winning filmmaker present Blood on the Mountain at the event (pictured below at the monument. The film was warmly-received by those attending. The newly released award-winning documentary  is a fearless look at the 150 year history of the coal industry. It has been endorsed by both the United Mine Workers of America and Sierra Club.   This is a story of human struggles endured at the mercy of unregulated industries and corrupt politicians. On hand will be Mari-lynn Evans, the film’s director. Evans noted that she has been “a life-long fan of Mother Jones.” She faced terrific obstacles and efforts to stop the film from the coal industry, which “reminded me of what Mother Jones and activists 100 years ago had to face.” The film, she notes, “is a story of human struggles endured at the mercy of unregulated industries and corrupt politicians,” that should interest people far beyond West Virginia: “The injustices to the workers, environment and communities in the coalfields of Appalachia are the “canary in a coal mine” illustrating to all Americans what happens when corporations are allowed absolute control to inflict atrocities and politicians abdicate responsibility for those they are elected to protect.” We shared stories, and received so many  great comments about the festive atmosphere and camaraderie. "I love this concept," remarked Shannon Duffy of St. Louis, who came with Bread and Roses chair Joan Suarez. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped. Many of our visitors were a source of inspiration. One commented "“Last year I gave (a donation) on faith. This year I am giving a donation based on what you are accomplishing with the exhibits.” Project supporter Jeanne Graham, retired Vice President of the BCTGM International Union (Bakers Union),  provided the cake for Mother"s 100th, delivered an outsized union cake for our May Day birthday celebration of Mother Jones' chosen birthday. You can see how it was made in the style of the 100th birthday cake from 1930. Thanks to Dave Durkee, International President of the union, and Local 4 in St. Louis, whose repreesntative Josh Camden delivered the cake and the union members at Dierberg's whose skilled labor created the cake. Above: Mother Jones with her Bakers Union birthday party cake, 1930. The biggest thanks goes to Kate Klimut who organized and coordinated the event along with Rosemary Feurer. Thanks to Wildfire Conspiracy for music, Tilley's Restaurant,  Josh Camden. Judy Simpson, Jeanne Graham, Margaret Fulkerson, Dave Rathke Jeanne Graham, students from McKendree college and Mt. Olive schools, Juliann Caveny, Trudy and Mike Katchmar, Mike Prehoda, Joanne Condellone, Erik Hostetter, Alderman Derek Sillman. Dale Hawkins brought display items from his collection. Other scenes: