As you drive thru the sleepy former coal mining town of Russelton Pa today you have no idea the reputation it once had of being known as a Bucket of Blood Town because of the mining towns which went on strike .
The mine which was active into late 80s is totally dismantled but you can still find the former company Store and other buildings now being used for various businesses . a large athletic complex and amphitheater now sits on the site of the mines former operations.
Its quiet now in town but in 1927 a violent Coal Miners Strike broke out across Western Pa. and Russelton was right there with them.
A Fictionalized History of events in Russelton can be found in the book the Rag Mans War
https://www.pghcitypaper.com/news-2/how-cruel-was-our-valley-1336670/
But many of these events if they did not happen in Russelton they definitely happened in other coal towns. Because the Iron & Coal Police definitely ruled over and took liberty's with miners wives and family's as they evicted miners from their housing. Alot of the same civil rights abuses and tactics used in Matewan WV where used in Pa
At the bottom of the Allegheny River when they where rebuilding the Hulton Bridge in Harmar they found many lengths of chain which where used to get rid of miners and union officials when Coal operators turned loose the Iron and coal police in Harmar as they went on strike .It was not until the 30s that Iron and Coal Police where gone and miners started getting a fair deal .
But many on both sides of the issue died to get those rights , Including Coal Operators their family members and Iron and Coal Police .
Many of the Iron and coal Police ended up joining the Pa. State Police when it was formed .
These where hard and desperate times for miners and only thing they had was a strike to bring attention to there plight .
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