Working Class Rhetoric: An Exploration of The Mining Rhetoric of Southeast KansasMain MenuThe History of Mining in Southeast KansasThe Hearl Maxwell CollectionThe Hearl Maxwell Collection"Us" vs "Them"Alexander Howat vs John L. LewisMiners Starve, Idle, or WorkingPoverty ReductionUnion Relationship Rhetoric and BrotherhoodThe Amazon ArmyDisability in the MinesJennifer Katzerc3846a5de27f6c938df2d2f8dec5cd07e2a0aed1Tara Yarnelleb1fae02665d887569eb6cabee2c4ae5a342e3fdGlenn Storeya721f873184f60b148d53d11dc3860bca0bd8535
12016-04-21T11:36:49-07:00Jennifer Katzerc3846a5de27f6c938df2d2f8dec5cd07e2a0aed1Disability in the MinesJamie McDaniel10image_header2016-05-20T16:12:48-07:00Jamie McDaniel7d1c50d66443d970871743d62f90c2a04a2f2c84
This page is referenced by:
12016-04-14T11:24:16-07:00The History of Mining in Southeast Kansas15vispath2699382016-04-26T11:09:43-07:00Southeast Kansas has a long and rich history of mining that still shows through the fabric of modern day society. Local families travel to "The Pits," patches of old mines that have been filled with water and reserved for wildlife. The Pits now make excellent camping and fishing spots and are great places to escape into nature. Visitors to the area can see Big Brutus, the largest electric shovel in the world, too large to pack up and remove when the mining era came to an end. The giant machine stands now as a tribute to the rich mining history of the area and in memory of the many families that struggled to carve a living out of the mines.
Minerals pulled from the Kansas, Oklahoma, and western Missouri soil include lead, zinc, coal, and salt. The time span analyzed here ranges from 1911 and 1930. In Crawford and Cherokee Counties, coal made up the bulk of the mines between 1917 and 1918, and lead and zinc peaked around 1926. These are the minerals that became the center of life for local miners.
The United Mine Workers of America were a crucial and influential force in the early 20th century all across the United States. The collection analyzed here centers on the local activities of this union with emphasis on District 14, which covered Pittsburg, Mullberry, and Frontenac.
From this page, visit various websites and video to gain a little perspective on the history of the mines before diving into the results of our research.
