The Molly Maguire Memorial in Mahanoy City

Located at the Corner of W. Centre & Catawissa Streets is a monument to the Molly Maguires.


Hidden behind a wall, mimicking the feel of a prison yard, this monument on a street corner in Mahanoy City attempts to give a brief timeline of some of  the events leading up to nineteen men being hung as Molly Maguires between 1877 and 1879.

Between 1861 and 1875 there were more than 50 murders in Schulykill County.  Many of the victims were prominent men, mangers and bosses of mines.  More than half of the murders were never solved.

Even though the murders happened in broad daylight, with many people around, witnesses claimed to have seen nothing at all.  When a suspect could be found, he would immediately provide a host of alibis.

This lead prosecutor Franklin Gowen, who was also, later, President of the railroad,  to believe that the murders were not singular and random, but rather committed by  an organized criminal enterprise.

Gowen brought in the Pinkerton Detective Agency.  Detective James McParlan went undercover as "James McKenna", working his way up in the Molly Maguire organization. 

Two years later, when the trials began, this detective, who had been hired by Gowen, was the primary witness for the prosecution.  Gowen himself served as special prosecutor in some of the trials, calling the detective he had hired as his star witness.

Jim "Powder Keg" Kerrigan gave a 210 page confession, bolstering the testimony of the undercover Pinkerton agent.   Kerrigan's own wife took the stand and swore his confession was a lie. A mistrial was declared, and at the next trial, Kerrigan's wife was unavailable to testify.

"The Day Of the Rope", or Black Thursday.  On June 21 1877, eleven men were hung on one day in Pennsylvania.    Six men were hung in Pottsville, four in Mauch Chunk [today known as Jim Thorpe] and one was hung in Wilkes Barre.

Between 1877 and 1879, Nineteen men were hung as convicted Molly Maguires.  At one of the hangings, a reprieve was granted by the Governor.  It arrived 30 seconds too late to save the men, who were already hanging from the gallows as the messenger knocked on the door.

While there is little  doubt that at least several  of those men were  guilty of assorted crimes, including murder, there is much controversy over whether or not they were guilty of the specific murders they were hung for. And there are many who believe that some of those men were completely innocent of any crimes at all.  

"Black Jack" Kehoe was posthumously pardoned in January 1979 by then PA Governor Milton Shapp, 100 years from the date of his hanging.

The statue was installed in 2002, a publicly funded sculpture,  to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the hanging of the Mollies.  The monument is almost as controversial as the original events.

Joe Wayne, a descendent of the Molly leader Jack Kehoe fiercely opposed the creation of the park in Mahanoy City.“ Park advocates say the sculpture captures the defining moment of the Molly Maguires. I disagree…The design is a sensationalist attempt to attract tourists to Mahanoy City, which was not a focal point for Molly activity. This project is about vying for the mighty tourist dollar, not about representing the families on both sides who suffered from Molly violence…they [park officials] did not ask for community input, they created what they wanted. I think it’s presumptuous of them to think they are making a statement for the whole region…the story needs to be told, but not this way.”

Molly Maguire historian Mark Major said:  “I believe we have ignored the Mollies and their story,” Major explains. “Their history has split the local Irish American community. This project will recognize the significance of this story…it will present the facts, it will not judge…it will publicly tell the story of capital versus labor, Protestant versus Catholic, everybody versus the Irish.”

See more photos of the creation, and installation, of the statue here:
http://www.zenosfrudakis.com/sculpture/molly-maguire

Created by Philadelphia Artist Zenos Frudakis, he explained that he did not create the sculpture to be a tribute, bur represent a defining moment in history."

The Mayor of Mahanoy City, also the director of the Visitors Bureau, replied to the criticism explaining that the sculpture was intended to spark discussion of the history around the Molly Maguires in the area.  "The project is for heritage, not tourism."

No matter what the intent, the monument made a powerful impression on us when we visited.  We contributed no tourist dollars to the local economy, despite our best efforts, as there were no stores nor restaurants  that appeared to be open when we passed through the town.

More About The Molly Maguires:
A Timeline Of The Molly Maguires
An Attempt To Understand The Molly Maguire Drama
The Molly Maguire Park & Statue in Mahanoy City
Ten Bizarre Facts From The Molly Maguire Saga

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The statue was installed in 2002, a publicly funded sculpture,  to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the hanging of the Mollies.  The Molly Maguire's are one of the most, if not the most,  controversial topics in our local history.  Did a group of Irish Immigrants organize as a gang to terrorize and murder mine bosses? Or did one rich industrialist lawyer, with the help of the Pinkerton Detective Agency,  set out to punish a group of men who were lobbying for unionization for better working conditions?   Some argue that the Molly Maguires were extremely evil terrorists.  Others argue that Molly Maguires never existed in Pennsylvania at all.  

One article explained:  "By building this park, officials and supporters are confronting the long muffled violent legacy of the Mollies and contesting the harsh criticism of opponents — some of whom are Molly descendants — who call the sculpture a depraved attempt to re-tell the tragic past in a sensationalist effort to promote tourism"

"The Molly Maguires’ name can be traced back to early 19th century Ireland. Molly Maguire, an Irish widow, in the 1840s, protested against English landlords who tried to steal peoples land. She headed a group called the “Anti-landlord Agitators” who were best known for getting in bare knuckle fights with their landlords in order to maintain their land and their dignity. “Take that from a son of Molly Maguire!” was often heard after group members would deliver a beating. Eventually their violence gained notoriety across Ireland, and they later proudly called themselves the “Molly Maguires” after their leader"