Category Archives: railroad construction

The Humble Spike Maul

Posted on March 15, 2021 by jpkenna

As a day to celebrate, Saint Patrick’s Day is filled with images that are simultaneously hackneyed and cherished. The leprechaun, the green top hat, the harp–and then there’s the shamrock.  Here on the west side of the Atlantic, most of … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Ireland, labor, nostalgia, railroad construction, railroading, social criticism, writing | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Up the Inside Passage

Posted on February 10, 2015 by jpkenna

July, 1898.  16-year-old Mike Scanlon has let himself be detained, quite willingly, at a new Utopian socialist colony along the upper reaches of Puget Sound, north of Seattle. He is now “back on track” following the original plan of his … Continue reading →

Posted in history, labor, love, nostalgia, railroad construction, Utopian Movement, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment