The Taylorville "Mine War" Scrapbook, March l7, l933 - October 11, l933 consists of clippings chiefly from Taylorville, Illinois daily newspapers, the Daily Breeze and the Courier, documenting eight months of the Illinois mine wars which started in 1932 as a wage dispute but soon became a power struggle between the United Mine Workers (UMW) and the Progressive Miners of America (PMA) for control of the mines in central and southern Illinois. The articles document the violence, particularly the bombings and beatings of the PMA members in the Taylorville area; the attempts at peace negotiations; and the murder trail in Vandalia of Albert Mattozzi (Chief of Police of Kincaid, Illinois) and Emil DuPire who were charged with killing three people in Kincaid, Illinois. Of particular note is the "Confession of Alleged PMA Gunman" which appeared in the Taylorville Daily Breeze on September 5, 1933, and "A Statement by a Former Progressive as to the Bad Conditions and the Lack of Leadership in the Progressive Miners of America," August 9, 1933. Photocopies.

Historical Sketch In the early part of l932 a new wage scale was submitted to a vote by the coal miners and was rejected. Later, a second vote was held and the tally sheets were deposited in the vault at the Ridgely-Farmers Bank in Springfield. On August l0, l932, the tally sheets, enroute to the Miner's Building in Springfield, were stolen. This caused a split among the mine workers and caused the establishment of the Progressive Mine Workers of America. Both unions (UMW and PMW) adopted the same wage scale. The main issue was which union would control the minors.