Just two years after the arrival of the railroad, a couple of mines had been established in the town. And by 1863, a total of five different operations were engaged in hauling out the buried coal. Then eventually, a man named Alexander Rae founded Centralia in 1866, and the settlement looked set to boom thanks to its valuable natural resources.
But just two years later, tragedy struck. Rae was apparently murdered, and many laid the blame on the Molly Maguires – a clandestine group that had been brought to the U.S. by Irish workers. However, some people believed the Maguires had been framed by local employers who feared the unionization of employees.
But although three people were executed for the crime, violence continued to plague Centralia. In 1869, for instance, a local priest was allegedly attacked by the Molly Maguires. And according to folklore, the clergyman consequently exacted his vengeance by placing a curse on the land, claiming that one day only the town’s church would remain standing.