It’s amazing to me all of the things that were so impactful to people, and our county, when they happened, that we have forgotten about today. This is a book about one of those things – the railroad strike in 1894. Also, as I was reading it, I kept wondering if this was something I learned about in Social Studies, way back when, and just forgot about. I think it probably was mentioned, but just the beginning and end, without all of the detail and suspense this author provides. Also, I finished reading this book during the actor’s strike, and on the eve of the UAW strike (September, 2023). Quite a contrast in the reaction of the occupant of the Oval Office!
We forget about the Panic of 1893; the Great Depression of the 1930’s has driven it from our collective memories. But it was a factor in both the reasons for the railroad strike, and the reason it ended the way it did. Both George Pullman and Eugene Debs are famous in their own rights, but their positions on opposite sides of this issue was determinative for both men. While the strike was relatively short lived, it had a big impact on some areas of the country, especially where railroads were most prominent, and for the families of the strikers. The benefits to workers would take longer to achieve.
While Pullman, Debs, and a few of the other people mentioned would be easy to find in the records, most of the people impacted by the strike were the lower to middle-class workers. And while this strike started in the town of Pullman, Illinois, it spread to other parts of the county fairly quickly. And while the strike lasted, a great number of people were impacted by the fact that trains were not running. Both the people shipping various products, and the people waiting to buy them at the other end of the line were affected.
If this was your family, how would you research them? Railroad records are wonderful, but that is more for the people running the trains, not the people manufacturing them. This is where local newspaper research comes in. I looked at my tree, to see if I could notice any effect on my great-grandparents, but nothing jumped out at me. Of course, this is where the 1890 census might have been helpful! I have found several newspapers articles mentioning my grandfather, who was active in the Carpenter’s Union in the 1940’s and 1950’s.