94 Years After Ludlow Massacre, Site Now National Historic

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The Ludlow National Historic Landmark memorializes the 1914 massacre (aftermath above) of coal miners, their wives and children

On April 20, 1914, in Ludlow, Colo., one of the bloodiest chapters in the nation’s labor history was written. Thugs hired by several coal companies and the Colorado militia attacked a peaceful encampment of striking miners and their families. By the end of the day, 20 were shot or burned to death, including 14 women and children.

It has long been a hallowed site: In 1918, the Mine Workers (UMWA) erected a monument there. Yet for decades, despite the efforts of historians and labor activists, there was no state or national commemoration of the site.

But last month, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated Ludlow a National Historic Landmark. Says UMWA President Cecil Roberts:

This is the culmination of years of work by UMWA members, retirees and staff, as well as many hundreds of ordinary citizens who recognize and have fought to preserve the memory of this brutal attack on workers and their families.

The tragic lessons from Ludlow still echo through our nation, and they must never be forgotten by Americans who truly care about workplace fairness and equality. With this designation, the story of what happened at Ludlow will remain part of our nation’s history. That is as it should be.
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FULL ARTICLE
http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/02/22/94-years-after-ludlow-massacre-site-now-national-historic-landmark/