▁a ▁min ing ▁town ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 8 0 s . ▁Most ▁mines ▁were ▁established ▁by ▁companies ▁le asing ▁land ▁from ▁the ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁M ining ▁& ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁formed ▁by ▁Edward ▁J . ▁San ford ▁and ▁other ▁land ▁spec ul ators ▁after ▁the ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁min ing ▁companies ▁re aped ▁substantial ▁prof its , ▁the ▁min ers ▁often ▁strugg led ▁econom ically ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁organ ize ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s . ▁The ▁mine ▁own ers ▁preferred ▁free ▁labor , ▁but ▁they ▁threatened ▁to ▁replace ▁free ▁min ers ▁with ▁conv ict s ▁whenever ▁free ▁min ers ▁talked ▁about ▁forming ▁un ions . ▁Nevertheless , ▁by ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁only ▁two ▁min ing ▁operations ▁in ▁Anderson ▁County — ▁the ▁Kno x ville ▁Iron ▁Company ▁mine ▁at ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁and ▁the ▁C umber land ▁Co al ▁Company ' s ▁" Big ▁Mountain " ▁mine ▁at ▁Oliver ▁Spr ings — ▁used ▁primarily ▁conv ict ▁labor . ▁ ▁Con front ation ▁ ▁Initial ▁out break ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁several ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁labor - friend ly ▁Tennessee ▁Farm ers ' ▁Alliance — ▁among ▁them ▁Governor ▁John ▁P . ▁Buch an an — ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁government ▁emb old ened ▁min ers ▁in ▁the ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁Valley ▁to ▁make ▁several ▁dem ands . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁key ▁dem ands ▁was ▁payment ▁in ▁c