Grassroots archaeology and a 19th century murder mystery

duffyscut.jpg

In June of 1832, the 57 Irish migrant workers arrived at the docks of Philadelphia. Their job was to lance a flat path for the track through steep, hilly terrain. In railroad parlance, this is known as a 'cut' and thereafter that stretch of track would be known as Duffy's Cut. Six weeks later, they would all be dead.

A lot of eerie folklore and some community organized archaeology uncover a murder mystery on Philadelphia's Main Line.

Image courtesy the Duffy's Cut Project