The Complete Story
Mary Harris 'Mother' Jones was America's most famous labor organizer, a gray-haired firebrand who organized miners and child laborers across the nation. When she died in 1930 at approximately 100 years old, she requested burial in the Union Miners Cemetery in Mount Olive, Illinois, alongside the miners who died in the 1898 Battle of Virden - men she considered 'her boys.'
The monument unveiled in 1936 befits her larger-than-life legacy. Constructed from 80 tons of Minnesota pink granite, the 22-foot tall memorial features a central granite spire with a bas-relief portrait of Mother Jones, flanked by bronze statues of two coal miners. An estimated 50,000 union members, their families, activists, and government officials attended the unveiling ceremony - one of the largest gatherings in southern Illinois history.
Route 66 travelers could take a short detour to pay respects to this champion of workers' rights. The Union Miners Cemetery itself was designated a National Historic Place in 1972 and inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame. The cemetery contains the graves of miners killed in the Virden Mine Riot of 1898, when mine operators tried to bring in Black strikebreakers and a gunfight erupted, killing both miners and guards.
Surprising Facts You Didn't Know
→ Mother Jones requested burial alongside 'her boys' - miners killed in the 1898 Battle of Virden
→ 50,000 people attended the 1936 monument unveiling - one of the largest gatherings in southern Illinois history
→ The monument is made from 80 tons of Minnesota pink granite
→ Mother Jones was approximately 100 years old when she died in 1930
→ The Union Miners Cemetery was designated a National Historic Place in 1972
Frequently Asked Questions
Visit Mother Jones Monument
✓ You Can Visit Today
Address: 5585 Mt Olive Rd, Mt Olive, IL 62069
What's There Now: 22-foot granite monument and burial site in Union Miners Cemetery. The cemetery also contains graves of miners killed in the 1898 Virden Mine Riot.
GPS Coordinates: 39.0807388, -89.731829
Photo Tip: Best photographed in early morning or late afternoon when the Illinois light brings out the building's character.
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