Before she was Mother Jones

Rosemary Feurer and Elliott Gorn will present on the early years and significance of Mother Jones, including her connections to Chicago and the Pullman Strike of 1894, and the forthcoming sculpture to Mother Jones at Chicago's historic Water Tower. Mary Harris "Mother" Jones was the most famous labor organizer of the early twentieth century. An Irish famine refugee, she lost her children and husband in Memphis's 1867 yellow fever epidemic. She moved to Chicago, then lost her business in the Great Fire of 1871. After the Pullman events, she blazed a trail of resistance by organizing entire communities, becoming an iconic figure of the labor movement that was born after Pullman.

Tickets include access to the Exhibit Hall. Please come early if you want to see our new exhibit: Passion and Pride: People of the Pullman Strike

Be sure to visit the Pullman National Historical Park Visitor Center, open from 9:00-5:00 every day, for an overview of Pullman, the man, the company, and the town.

If you enjoy this program and/or your visit to the Exhibit Hall, please donate to support the Historic Pullman Foundation, the official friend's group of the National Park. Your donations keep the money local and help both organizations share the amazing story that is Pullman.

Rosemary Feurer teaches history at Northern Illinois University. She is completing a place-based history of Mother Jones in Illinois and is Director of the Mother Jones Heritage Project (motherjonesmuseum.org).

Elliott Gorn teaches history at Loyola University Chicago. He is author of Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America, and Let the People See: The Story of Emmett Till.

Plan Your Visit

Pullman is easily accessible by the Metra Electric train line. Check the schedule and plan your visit Here.