Miners Hall Museum

What to do on a golden autumn day but jump in the car for a breezy drive to a small town in Southeast Kansas and visit the Miners Hall Museum. We were greeted by Operations Manager Donna Sue Pintar, who readily offered information and answered questions during our visit.

To fully appreciate the museum, you need some history. The first vein of coal was discovered by settlers in Southeast Kansas in 1866. As waves of immigrants from numerous European countries arrived at Ellis Island, some made their way here to mine coal and build a better life for themselves and their families. Because many of the immigrants who settled here were from the Balkan Peninsula, the area became known as “the little Balkans.”

The Miners Hall Museum in Franklin opened May 1, 2012. It stands on the site of the original Miners Union Hall, dedicated in 1914. People gathered here to socialize and organize. More importantly this is where miners met to negotiate unfair labor practices and laws through strikes and protests over poor working conditions and low pay.

This was also the starting location of the Amazon Army women’s march in 1921, where thousands of mothers, sisters, wives, and sweethearts marched to close area mines to “scab” workers. I wrote about the Amazon Army in my September 2019 blog. If you haven’t read their story, please do. It will amaze you.

The stated mission of the Miners’ Hall Museum is “to preserve and present authentic materials and artifacts that document the history of coal mining and its impact on Southeast Kansas, as well as be a vital partner in the educational and cultural life of Southeast Kansas through its collections and programs.” It houses a permanent display, interactive exhibits, a research library, and Quarterly Exhibits which are changed every calendar quarter.

The permanent collection includes mining artifacts such as workpants, headlamps, and tools as well as items used in the everyday life of mining families from 1900 including household items, musical instruments, and religious artifacts. The research library contains an in-depth collection of information relating to the coal camps, coal miners, and coal companies located in Crawford and Cherokee County. Phyllis Bitner manages the library and said topics related to the coal mining boom in the early part of the 20th century are also included. The print collection is accessible to the public for onsite research with future plans to be digitized for online access.

After countless hours researching and writing Marcello’s Promise, I felt right at home walking through the doors of the miners’ museum into the world of immigrant miners at the turn of the last century. Family photos from the old country, kerosene lamps, and miners’ tools were an integral part of the daily life of the characters in my book—Marcello and Luisa Corsi who lived in Wyoming—just as they were in the lives of the Balkan immigrants here in Kansas.

Louis Baima emigrated to America in 1915 from Italy and mined coal in Frontinac, KS. Digging coal was done on your knees in a space 40″ high with a short handled pick. Louie added rubber from a tire inner tube to his already padded pants to make them last longer.

An impressive mural stretches across the back wall of the museum depicting the men and women who played significant roles in the rich history of Crawford County, Kansas. The artist is Antonio Martinez.

Outside the Hall on the surrounding grounds is a replica of a coal camp train. Visitors can also see an actual miner’s company house built in 1905 that will eventually be furnished and viewed by the public. The museum exhibits have been well received with an annual visitor count around 3,500 guests. Artifacts continue to come into the museum which is overseen by a board of trustees. The museum’s board includes local historians Jerry Lomshek, Linda Knoll, and other members available to contact for more information on specific topics of interest.

The connection between the coalfields of Southeast Kansas’ past and the present community has been cemented in large part by this museum. The contributions of these hard-working immigrants who became proud Americans have been preserved and honored. As Linda Knoll, museum board member and local educator and historian, said, “Understanding the history of the place you call home helps define who you are—how you came to be. In preserving this local history, future generations are given stories to build a foundation upon, providing us with a sense of identity.”

As I drove home that afternoon, my thoughts turned to my grandfather. He emigrated from Italy in 1909, and his first job was in one of these mines in Southeast Kansas before he moved on to join his brothers in the coal fields of Wyoming. To those whose ancestors settled and worked here, this is sacred ground, and so it is to me. This corner of Kansas is another part of my story. I hope you are learning more about your story. As I wrote in a note to the reader at the end of Marcello’s Promise, “Wherever you are on life’s path, tell your story and keep the dreams alive.”

The Miners Hall Museum is located at 701 S. Broadway in Franklin, Kansas 66735. MinersHallMuseum.com.