The Road to Lattimer

Four couples—Stefan and Anna, Cyril and Adriana, Jan and Katarina, and Emil and Edita—fled their European homes, desperate to escape the poverty, war, and tyranny of kings and emperors. Seeking a better life, they embarked for America, relocating to coal towns in eastern Pennsylvania. But in these company-owned towns, dreams faded. They lived in squalor, faced discrimination and endured danger in the mines. In the summer of 1897, unrest erupted among miners in the coal towns and spread to their villages.

Growing activism among Slavic and other immigrant groups, with their call to join the United Mine Workers of America, compelled them to react. Anna feared for her family but understood the need for the strike. Stefan, still haunted by images of a war that never left him, was cautious, worried the consequences would be too dire. Adriana and Cyril, angry at the working and living conditions in Lattimer, were ready to shut down the mine, no matter the methods. Jan and Katarina were forced to make a painful decision. Emil, with wife Edita and a young family to support, joined the union and was among the strikers who marched to Lattimer on September 10, 1897.

On that fateful day, the local sheriff and his deputies met the oncoming protesters, confronting and then murdering nineteen and wounding thirty-nine more. Emil survived and agreed to be a witness at the trial of Sheriff Martin and his deputies. The Road to Lattimer chronicles their stories.