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Mother Jones grave.

Grave of Mother Jones

Field review by the editors.

Mount Olive, Illinois

Mother Jones died in 1930, before working people had the cash and free time to take vacations on The Mother Road. But the elaborate grave monument of the gray-haired labor activist can be glimpsed from Route 66.

Mother Jones lived to be 100, and spent her Golden Years fighting for the rights of the laboring class, particularly miners. She's buried in a miners cemetery with the victims of the "Battle of Virden," one of many miner vs. mine owner mini-wars at the turn of the 20th century. Her memorial shaft -- by far the largest in the graveyard -- is flanked by life-size bronze statues of a miner and a factory worker.

Grave of Mother Jones

Union Miners Cemetery

Address:
Old Reservoir Rd, Mount Olive, IL
Directions:
On the northwest edge of town. I-55 exit 44. Drive east on Lakeview Drive/Hwy 138, then quickly turn left onto Old Route 66. Drive a little over a mile. Turn right onto Old Reservoir Rd and drive to the Union Miners Cemetery; you'll see Mother Jones' big grave on the right.
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Nearby Offbeat Places

Soulsby's Service StationSoulsby's Service Station, Mount Olive, IL - < 1 mi.
Henry's Ra66it RanchHenry's Ra66it Ranch, Staunton, IL - 6 mi.
Pink Elephant Mall: Outdoor RetroPink Elephant Mall: Outdoor Retro, Livingston, IL - 8 mi.
In the region:
Ruins of Civil War Military Prison, Alton, IL - 28 mi.

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