Railroad Yardmen Unite: A Threat to Pittsburgh’s Iron Fists

In the scorching April heat of 1890, the city of Pittsburgh stood at the crossroads of a brewing storm. The railroad yardmen, fed up with the harsh conditions and low wages, were organizing a rebellion that would shake the very foundations of the steel giant. A meeting held at 41 Fifth Avenue in the afternoon of April 20, 1890, brought together less than 100 men, a mere fraction of the thousands who toiled in the city’s rail yards.