ILLINOIS COAL MUSEUM AT GILLESPIE
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The May 1, 1886, labor action wasn’t just any strike—it was part of what became known as the Haymarket Affair. On May 1 of that year, Chicago (along with other cities) was the site of a major union demonstration in support of the eight-hour workday. ​Time 1938
The story of Gillespie and our Coal Country communities was forever impacted by over 100 years of Union activities. 

The City of Gillespie and The Illinois Coal Museum at Gillespie
invite you to attend the 1st. annual MAY DAY CELEBRATION.​

​ Sponsored by 

Mythic Mississippi Project, Illinois Route 66, Great Rivers and Routes,
The Mother Jones Museum
Mt. Olive, ​and Grow Gillespie .
Our May 1st Event
in three parts

​Our event will be following state and county Covid19 safety guidelines.  Please bring, and wear a mask while inside the museum and  also practice social distancing and mask wearing while not eating or drinking outside. 

Street Fair
East Chestnut St.
Connecting the Coal Museum
and the
​Historical Marker site.

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    5K Fun Run/Walk - Registration 8:30 Run 9 - 10 a.m.
​​
Click above to register

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Confirmed Food Vendors : ​
OFF THE WALL TACOS (and more)
​COAL COUNTY SPORTS COMPLEX
​
United Methodist Church
​Zion Luthern Church
Downtown Beautification
​Welfare Park
​Museum Grand Reopening 
​
121 S. Macoupin St.
 Come in 8:30 am-3:00pm to see our new floorplan and enhanced exhibits and displays.  Museum tours, guided and unguided, Kelly Hatlee preforming period songs at various displays. 
    Author: Kevin Corley  9:30 am
Labor overview from
 Sixteen Tons &
Throw Out The Water

Gangster overview from
 
13 Steps and  Moonshine Empire


Author Harold Rauzi 1:30pm
Our coal mining history
Coal Mines On The Prairie 

2:00 pm
Raffle Drawings



Sunday May 2, 2021
May Day Celebration
Union Miners’ Cemetery, Mt. Olive, IL

At the Mother Jones Monument
 Noon to 2:00 PM
FEATURING UMWA LOCAL 1613

CLICK BELOW for FLYER
​
may_day_flyer_draft_4-12.pdf
File Size: 137 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Historic Marker Dedication
at the site of the Theatre Colonial, 1 block east of the Coal Museum at the corner on E. Chestnut and Montgomery Streets, where in 1932 the Progressive Miners of America were born. 

 Marker Dedication
10:45 'Pre-game' warmup  music
(Kelly Hat
lee)
11:00 Welcome 
(Dave Tucker)

Invocation and Colonial Giving Gardens overview
(Dane Solari) 

Musical interlude
( Wildflower Conspiracy)
PMA overview
(Dan Fisher)

PMA Women's Auxiliary 
(Joann Condellone &
Anna Pianfetti Eccher)

Musical interlude
(
 Wildflower Conspiracy)
 The Mythic Mississippi Project 
(Helaine Silverman & Devon Hunter)
Closing
(Dave Tucker)

 Exit Song(s)
(Kelly Hatlee)


 Guest appearences by
​'Mother Jones' and 'General Bradley'
 
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the website is
​Proudly Powered By
ILLINOIS COAL ASSOCIATION
click to visit

The Museum WiFi is
​
​Proudly Powered By
ILLINOIS MINING INSTITUTE
click to visit
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