EAST WHITELAND -- A local archaeological team made a significant discovery Friday that will help answer questions regarding the fate of 57 Irish immigrants who died soon after their arrival here nearly 177 years ago.
For six years, Immaculata University professors and students searched for the mass grave of Irish immigrants brought by Philip Duffy to Chester County on June 23, 1832, to build the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad.
Within two months, all of the immigrants had perished, reportedly from cholera, a bacterial infection typically contracted through contaminated water. Research indicates their grave may have been intentionally hidden from the public.
The Duffy's Cut Project digging team, which began searching for the remains of the immigrants several years ago, discovered some of the remains Friday off King Road, not far from the Duffy's Cut mass grave historical marker, which the group obtained in 2004.
"It's a fulfillment of a quest for us," said
Immaculata history department Chairman William Watson, who organized the digging team. "It's a matter of justice we've been searching for ... These men suffered, and these men died building something important, but they weren't forgotten."
Using radar much like a ship at sea uses sonar, the team recovered skulls, six teeth and assorted bones belonging to two men. Some of the remains are believed to belong to 18-year-old John Ruddy, one of the youngest immigrants in the group, Watson said.
The average age of the men was 20, Watson said. All of the men were from Donegal, Tyrone and Derry counties in Ireland.
Before Friday, Watson said, it was "a mystery as to where they were and what happened to them."
The Smithsonian Institution is helping the crew determine how the immigrants died.
Watson said the men, because of their Irish Catholic religion, were not welcomed by the local community. Instead, they were forced into cramped living conditions on the hillside where they all died.
"At a minimum, they were forced to go back into the valley to die," Watson said.
Watson said what happened to the Irish immigrants here was common during the Industrial Revolution. He said there are many anonymous, mass graves in the nation.
"This is one mass grave of workers who won't be forgotten," Watson said.
The goal, Watson said, is to provide the immigrants with a proper burial and commemoration.
Local researchers were granted permission for the dig in May 2004 near King and Sugartown roads. The exact location of the grave is unknown.
The Duffy's Cut Project team plans to hold a news conference today at Immaculata University to discuss the findings.
The Chester County Emerald Society has assisted the team with its search. The group's members are of Gaelic decent and are either retired or active members of law enforcement.