May 4, 1881 | Book
This Dime Novel, written in 1881 by Captain Fred Whittaker, offers a popular, fictional account of the Great Railway Strike of 1877.
April 17, 1880 | Letter
In this April 17, 1880 letter, Wealthy Hathaway writes to her husband about her Aunt Sarah's final days and the settling of her affairs. She proposes several scenarios for different relatives visiting and staying with the Sim family, and leaves the date of her return up to her husband.
February 23, 1880 | Letter
In the first part of her February 23, 1880 letter to Frank, Genie Hathaway rapturously describes the luxuries of riding in a Pullman car on the way to Chicago. She mentions several of her fellow passengers, one of whom is female world traveler. The second part of her letter describes the vulgarity of the passengers traveling with her in a "common car". Part of the letter is damaged.
January 30, 1880 | Letter
In this January 30, 1880 letter, John C. Clark writes to his sister, Wealthy Hathaway, of the details of his sister's illness. He describes Sarah Sim's tumors and the slim chances of her recovery.
December 23, 1878 | Letter
On December 23, 1878 D.F. Vanniss informs George P. Cather of a death in his family delaying his trip to Nebraska. Vanniss wants to purchase a productive 160 acres of railroad land and asks Cather if he can buy it before he arrives to ensure that it is not sold to someone else. He tells Cather that he plans to make Webster County his new home, and wonders about the possibility of growing fruit in Nebraska-requesting that Cather send him a report of the temperature on New Year's Day.
October 23, 1878 | Letter
The October 23, 1878 letter from N.T. Waters in Illinois to George P. Cather requests information about available land in Webster County, Nebraska. Waters' primary concern is that the land contains a stream with drinkable water, and asks specifically about sections of land seen on a land map provided by the railroad.
October 5, 1878 | Letter
In a letter dated October 5, 1878, B.F. Noble writes to George P. Cather from Franklin County, Ohio, about the relative quality of the land available in Nebraska. Noble particularly wants land "within 2 or 3 miles of Railroad and Church." He indicates that his interest in Nebraska land was spurred by publications put forth by a railroad company.
May 11, 1878 | Letter
On May 11, 1878 Frank C. Bunley solicits advice on a potential land purchase in Nebraska from George P. Cather. He also inquires about the proximity of the railroad to Cather's land.
1878 | Illustration
Railroad detective Allan Pinkerton's history of the strike emphasized the unruliness of the mob and the threat of foreign, anarchist, and communist influences on American labor. Here, his illustration shows the military defending law and order, firing their weapons into a mob in Baltimore during the 1877 strike.
1878 | Illustration
Railroad detective Allan Pinkerton's history of the strike emphasized the unruliness of the mob and the threat of foreign, anarchist, and communist influences on American labor. Here, his illustration shows the rioters' attempt to burn down Baltimore's Camden Station during the 1877 railroad strike.
1878 | Illustration
Railroad detective Allan Pinkerton's history of the strike emphasized the unruliness of the mob and the threat of foreign, anarchist, and communist influences on American labor. He also emphasized the role of women in inciting the conflict. Here, his illustration shows women leading a mob against the police during the 1877 railroad strike in Baltimore.
August 11, 1877 | Illustration
This August 11, 1877 image from Leslie's Illustrated depicts the smoldering ruins of the roundhouse and shops at Pittsburgh after the riots. Such scenes of devastation, rendered from the vantage point and perspective to see the whole scope, were similar to images of destruction in the Civil War.
August 11, 1877 | Illustration
This August 11, 1877 image from Leslie's Illustrated depicts strikers tearing up the track and bridge near Corning, New York in advance of an oncoming engine. These confrontations were both organized and spontaneous, dependent on the deep experience and expertise of the railroad workers with the operation of the roads.
August 11, 1877 | Newspaper
This August 11, 1877 image from Leslie's Illustrated depicts the crowd marching down the New York Central railroad track at West Albany, New York on July 24, 1877.
July 23, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 23, 1877 edition of the Daily Alleganian and Times summarizes a sermon given by Rev. E. B. Raffeasperger which supported the plight of the railroad men, but denounced violence.
July 23, 1877 | Newspaper
This July 23, 1877 editorial in the Baltimore American emphasizes the participation of the "lawless classes" in the strike, hijacking it from the employees and turning it into a dangerous national threat, similar to the Paris Commune.
July 23, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 23, 1877 edition of the Daily Alleganian and Times gives an account of recent events and notes the continuing excitement generated by the strike.
July 23, 1877 | Newspaper
This article in the July 23, 1877 edition of the Daily Alleganian and Times describes incidents stemming from the vast number of reporters who had arrived to cover the strike.
July 23, 1877 | Newspaper
This article from the July 23, 1877 issue of the Baltimore American gives an account of the rioters halting rail service and robbing freight cars.
July 22, 1877 | Newspaper
This letter to the editor, printed in the July 22, 1877 edition of the Baltimore American, asks why saloons in Baltimore remained open, even after receiving the order to close, and seemed to indicate the ineffectiveness of the police in the situation.