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‘Put yourselves in the shoes of the miners’: Bethel Park history hits home

By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 3 min read
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Point Park University students Danielle Nuttridge, left, and Lily Fields talk about the strike nine decades ago at the Coverdale mine.

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Neil Armstrong Middle School fifth-graders Jack Waterstram, left, and Elliot Knibloe work on their signs.

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Neil Armstrong Middle School sixth-graders Sydney Glover, left, and Mia Hogue work on their signs.

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Parker Santora displays the sign he made.

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Lily Fields talks about a time when students brought apples to school for teachers.

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Point Park University student Danielle Nuttridge, left, and Neil Armstrong Middle School fifth-grader Rylie Sillman show their strike signs.

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Lily Fields leads the Bethel Park students outside of the Schoolhouse Arts and History Center following their project to make protest signs.

What many remember about history class probably has something to do with memorizing a whole bunch of names and dates for the next day’s quiz.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

When aspiring teacher Lily Fields provided information about a long-ago strike against a coal company in Bethel Park, she piqued her students’ interest by adding a personal component.

“I want you guys to put yourselves in the shoes of the miners,” she told them. “Try to think about what it would be like. You were working a really hard, dirty, dangerous job, and you just wanted to get paid more. And then they take away your housing. How would that make you feel?”

From their reaction, they’d be good and ready to walk the picket line.

In fact, Fields and Point Park University classmate Danielle Nuttridge had the youngsters make their own protest signs for a march around Bethel Park’s Schoolhouse Arts and History Center, providing an interactive component to reinforce the lesson.

Participating in Wednesday’s activities were Bethel Park gifted students in fourth through sixth grades, taught by elementary coordinator Lisa Yost and her husband, Stephen, at Neil Armstrong Middle School.

The Point Park students developed the lesson plan in conjunction with the Bethel Park Historical Society, which owns the arts and history center. The oldest part of the building was constructed in 1905 to house Bethel High School – “Park” wasn’t added until the 1950s – and educational uses continued there for decades.

“What’s really rewarding for us is that 60 years later, this building is being utilized again as a teaching facility,” Bill Haberthur, historical society secretary, said. “Now that the building is almost fully renovated, we can do these types of programs to educate the students about their local history.”

The society has raised more than $1 million in the past five years toward improving nearly every facet of the former high school. Displayed throughout are donated items primarily from Bethel Park’s past, providing today’s students with firsthand looks at everything from authentic military uniforms to 1970s-era roller skates.

“It’s just another sign that this building has so much potential in what we can do for our community,” Haberthur said.

The visit represented the first field trip for the Yosts’ students since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I love the fact that we do have this local resource,” Stephen Yost said about the center. “Learning about your history and where you came from, whether you’re a Bethel Park resident or not, is always a positive aspect of any of our lives.”

The strike that was the subject of the lesson took place at the Pittsburgh Terminal Railroad and Coal Co.’s No. 8 Mine, which opened in 1920 and operated for nearly 30 years in Bethel Park’s Coverdale neighborhood. The labor dispute became so contentious that in June 1932, state police fired on strikers who were attempting to distribute fliers outlining their grievances.

Today, Coverdale’s Miners Memorial Park, which recently underwent a $175,000 makeover, stands as a tribute to the workers of yesteryear.

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