Labor

Resources are listed in alphabetical order. More information can always be found by using our website search bar, or contacting a member of our staff.

Biographies

2 items

Crandall, June W.

June Crandall (1878-1910), a Kentucky native, came to Bloomington in 1898 and began working as ...

Biography

Hawks, Samuel Lockhart

Samuel Lockhart Hawks, known as “Louis” Hawks, was born in Scotland on March 7, 1832 the son of...

Biography

Blog

1 item

McHistory: Workin' In A Coal Mine

Listen to the audio on WGLT's website hereMcHistory goes back in time to explore big momen...

Blog Post

Farming in the Great Corn Belt

4 items

1853 to 1899: Labor

The railroad arrived in 1853, bringing with it an influx of immigrants willing to provide labor...

Digital Exhibit

1900 to 1945

Labor shortages during WWI and II, the Great Depression, improved equipment, and the shift of m...

Digital Exhibit

1900 to 1945: Tenants and Labor

The purchase of mechanized tools, like tractors and harvesters, increased equipment costs for t...

Digital Exhibit

Hand Tools and Mechanization

Whether by their own resources, bank loans, or later government programs, a farmer’s success a...

Digital Exhibit

Finding Aids

6 items

American Foundry and Furnace Company Collection (Soper Foundry)

Soper Foundry (then known as Flagg Foundry) began in Bloomington in 1874, producing gray iron c...

Finding Aid

Bridgestone Firestone

Firestone Tire and Rubber Company became Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire in 1995. Th...

Finding Aid

Labor Fatalities Collection

List of on-the-job fatalities in McLean County....

Finding Aid

Latino History Project Collection

The McLean County Latino History Project seeks to research and record the culture and experienc...

Finding Aid

Railroad Books—Miscellaneous

The collection includes assorted books of labor agreements, wage schedules, rules books, manual...

Finding Aid

Railroad Time Books

Railroad foremen used time books to record workers’ names, hours, wages and specifics of projec...

Finding Aid

Research

2 items

Latino History Project

The McLean County Latino History Project is a cooperative endeavor between the McLean County Mu...

Page

Post Amerikan

Held by the MCMH and digitized by Eastern Illinois University. The Post Amerikan began publicat...

Article

Speakers Bureau

3 items

German Brewers in Bloomington, IL 1859-1920

Speakers Bureau

What's Coming Down the Line? The Railroad in the American Mind

Speakers Bureau

Women Called to Action: Women in World War II

Speakers Bureau

Videos

3 items

A Deadly Deception: The Asbestos Tragedy in McLean County

Video

Social Justice History Walking Tour

Video

The Silent Killer: Dangers of Asbestos in the Workplace Panel Discussion

Video

Working for a Living

4 items

Building for a Growing Population

A growing community in need of housing meant a greater need for workers in the construction tra...

Digital Exhibit

Powering the Community

Coal, used for generating electricity and for heating homes and businesses, was discovered bene...

Digital Exhibit

Providing for a Regional Market

Thanks to the ease of railroad shipping, many local manufacturers were able to sell their goods...

Digital Exhibit

Railroad Workers Were Still in Demand

Despite the rising popularity of auto travel, rail transportation remained prominent. Laborers ...

Digital Exhibit