Historical Gold Mine Found in Linton!

Posted Wednesday, August 27, 2008, at 8:16 PM

A photo of downtown Linton from the early-1900's, looking north on Main Street. The building in this story is located at 75 South Main, and it is south of this photo of the intersection of Main & Vincennes Streets.

A downtown Linton building has a lot of historical significance I found out when I began talking with (and finally even met with) a Butler graduate student, named Donny Jones. It seems he has uncovered a gold mine of sorts, a historical gold mine that is.

Until his research began to shine light again on a historic Linton event, the moment had been buried in a thick layer of dust over time. Today, the building, located at 75 South Main Street in Linton is home to several small businesses. In 1919, however, it housed the New Home Telephone Company.

On April 28th of that year, five-hundred people besieged the building, demanding the dismissal of eight "scab" operators, who had replaced thirteen striking young women from Linton, the story goes. The Indiana National Guard became involved, special agents were sent, thousands of union workers united, and Linton was even declared to be under martial law, the paper states.

It's a very, very interesting bit of labor history, and it all happened in downtown Linton, Indiana! But I won't spoil any more of the story, so to read the published paper in the Journal for the Liberal Arts & Sciences, you can follow the link here: http://www.oak.edu/JLAS/Articles/Fall200...

Comments
Showing most recent comments first
[Show in chronological order instead]

I would like to thank Chris for both meeting me and for posting my research paper on his blog. I have presented this paper in a graduate symposium at the University of Kentucky and at a Labor History Conference at the University of Illinois. This is very much an ongoing work and the citizens of Linton are welcome to play a part in its completion. I am and have been looking for relatives of several of the key players mentioned in my work such as the fourteen telephone operator "girls." If anyone is related or knows people who are related to the following people, please get in touch with me via e-mail. In 1919 most of these women would have been about 17-22 years of age and please remember their surnames would have been their maiden names as nearly all telephone operators were unmarried. The following list represents the entire staff that bravely walked off their jobs:

Thelma Anderson, Edna Craft, Myrtle Tincher, Veda White, Roberta Chapman, Lila Howe, Mae Froescheke, Margaret Browning, Madge Porter, Hazel Clauseheld, Ester Arprister, Martha Pope, Gladys Campbell, Ruby Slinger, and Maude Scherb. My greatest hope would be to find a diary account or interview someone who has been told the story of the strike by a relative of one of these brave young women. I may be reached at :

dejones@butler.edu

You may also be related to other key players in the strike as listed in the published work online so be sure to check it out.

Thank you Linton!

Donny Jones

-- Posted by DEJONES on Thu, Aug 28, 2008, at 10:10 AM

Thanks for sharing this one.

-- Posted by hopeanddust on Thu, Aug 28, 2008, at 6:35 AM

What a great look into the history of our town! My grandparents were part the those "thrifty Germans" the article mentioned and My great-grandfather worked for the telephone company in the 20's and 30's. I've gotta do some more research now, I need to know more! Thanks for the insight with this great story.

-- Posted by Renee71 on Thu, Aug 28, 2008, at 4:25 AM

Riddle Me This

Chris Wathen

- Recent posts
- Archives
- Blog RSS feed

- Comments RSS feed

- Login

Hot topics

My Final Blog Post
(7 ~ 9:55 PM, Dec 30)

When I Grow Up, I Want to be a�
(1 ~ 7:18 AM, Dec 20)

Operation Food Fight - Chris' Throw
(6 ~ 6:51 AM, Dec 19)

Chief of Running Companies into the Ground
(4 ~ 11:16 AM, Dec 18)

A Follow-Up Post: Good & Bad in the Ugly
(4 ~ 10:47 AM, Dec 14)