Greenwood Colliery, Minooka

Greenwood Colliery, Minooka

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

John Burke Killed in Digging Bootleg Coal Accident - 1936

Minooka High School Basketball Team - 1936 and 1937





Updated:
Front row: Johnny Reilly, Manager, Paul Walsh, Tommy "Tip" Coyne, Bill Bauer and T.J. McHale
Second Row: Joe "Tinker" Egan, the undertaker's son, Joe Conaboy, Fran Walsh, Shamus Corbett, Joe Higgins, and Chris Powell

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Minooka's Involvement in the Spanish-American War

Minooka Boys in Navy
The Little Town has Quite a Large Percentage
April 28, 1898 – Scranton Republican

“Minooka has probably a larger representation in the navy than the city of Scranton, having at least 11 young men now in Uncle Sam’s active service on the seas.

Minooka’s Prize
Scranton’s Small Suburb Claims Peculiar Honor
From Its Place in the Army and Navy
July 27, 1898 – Scranton Tribune

“Minooka, Scranton’s southern suburb, claims the proud record of furnishing to the defense of the nation in the present war more soldiers than any town of its size in the United States. It has a population of not over 1,500, and yet thirty-five of its sons are now at the front.

“Some enlisted in the volunteers, but the most of them went with the regulars. There are more young men gone from Minooka who are suspected of having joined the service, but it is not known for certain. There are also quite a few who wanted to go, but were not of age and could not get the consent of their parents; and still others who wanted to go but could not pass the physical examination. There were very few, however, of this description. The Minookaites are as a rule not very delicate in building.”

Spanish American War – Minooka Volunteers

John Barrett

Thomas Barrett – “The only Minooka boy who figured in the historic scrimmage at El Caney, Santiago, Cuba. He was a member of a regiment quartered at Montauk Point.”

The U.S.S. Raleigh
Patrick Carey – Serving on the USS Raleigh in Admiral Dewey’s feet. “Met at Scranton – April 20, 1899 – Scranton Republican – “Mr. Carey arrived in this city on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western train from New York at 8:45 last night. John J. Coyne, the committee from the Minooka Young Men’s Institute appointed to go to New York to meet the sailor, accompanied him.

“Mr. Carey said: ‘You see I belong to the Raleigh. You’ve heard of the Raleigh and so has everyone in the civilized world. Well, in the battle of Manila Bay, our ship took a prominent part. I ain’s an officer. I am only a common sailor. You can wager we felt a bit shaky for that was the first time most of us were ever under fire, but after a while we became used to the noise and excitement and we didn’t mind it much. Oh, the men and officers acted fine to a man. No cowards on the Raleigh.”