Illinois

Cherry Mine Disaster Monuments

Two monuments stand in Cherry, Illinois, to honor the 259 men and boys who died in the Cherry Mine Disaster of 1909.  The small town of Cherry is located just a few minutes north of Interstate 80 on IL 13 at the Peru exit. The first monument was erected by U. M. W. of A. District No. 12 and dedicated in 1911. The second monument commemorated the 100th anniversary of the disaster, in 2009.  

Read more about the Cherry Mine Disaster here. 

Mother Jones Monument and Union Miners Cemetery

One of the most truly unique labor sites in the United States is the Union Miners Cemetery in the small town of Mt. Olive Illinois.  At the cemetery the wrought iron gate to the little burial ground rises a granite obelisk on which is a great medallion bearing the likeness of Mother Jones. She is guarded on either side by a larger-than-life bronze statue of a coal miner with his sledge. At the base is a simple stone nestled in the grass, Mother Mary Jones.  In 2014-2015, the Illinois Labor History Society supported and effort led by the Illinois AFL-CIO to make improvements at the monument site.

Read more about the Mother Jones Monument here.

While you are in Mt. Olive visit the Mother Jones Museum