94 Years after Ludlow Massacre, site now national historic landmark

[Omaha Steve]

http://transitional.pww.org/article/view/14580/

Author: Mike Hall
People's Weekly World Newspaper, 02/22/09 15:59

Original source: AFL-CIO Now 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.

In 1913, southern Colorado miners and their families walked out of the mines and mining camps striking for adequate wages, enforcement of state mining laws and union recognition. For more than a year, they lived in tent colonies near the mines. According to UMWA history of the Ludlow Massacre:

Upon striking, the miners and their families had been evicted from their company-owned houses and had set up a tent colony on public property. The massacre occurred in a carefully planned attack on the tent colony by Colorado militiamen, coal company guards, and thugs hired as private detectives and strike breakers.

FULL story at link.

[Wiley50]

1. K&R: Because if I had Had Union in my job I wouldn't be crippled with no recourse now

I was a floorcoverer in TN, a right to work (for shit wages and no benefits) state

I have great respect for those who have, have had union support

and those who support unions

[malaise]

2. I never heard about this before

Thanks you

[underpants]

3. Blackwater would have done a much more efficient job

let's not act like we don't all know that that is coming

or at least could

[Supply Side Jesus]

4. Terrific!!

Thank you Steve!!

My great Grand father cut timbers for the CF & I when it all went down. Of course he struck with them, like a good Italian immigrant!! I went down there numerous times growing up with my father. As I got older, the importance of the site meant more and more. This is so great!

I went to the last ceremony in June(?), I got to meet George McGovern and have him autograph a book of his. If you get the chance "The Great Coalfield War" is very good.

[Maru Kitteh]

5. K & R #4.

[WindRiverMan]

6. My grandfather was there!

Our ranch sits at the head of Berwin Canyon, due west of Ludlow. As a small boy, they snuck food into the camp at night for the striking miners.

The miners are one of the last vestiges of what America used to be. Hard working people who stood up for their rights as human beings. All of us could use a little more coal miner in our blood when dealing with the Republican Hoard.

[originalpckelly]

9. That's so cool! My great grandfather was there!

Small world WindRiverMan. I never knew about this until I was in high school and house was being foreclosed on, and we were getting ready to move, when I literally found a letter from Mother Jones (which was nearly totally undecipherable.) And one from Samuel Gompers too! I couldn't believe it, but then my mom told me about some of this, though she herself didn't know much. I guess most of the stuff we had was given to some historical society somewhere. We still had his commendation from the state of Colorado.

Other stuff we found was a program to the 1936 Democratic Convention, which I still have around with me. Here's an article from the NY Times that mentions my great grandfather, Edward Doyle:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F00E5DA1538E633A2575BC2A9679C946496D6CF

[guappo1]

7. Ludlow

This is great news for those of us that live in So. Colorado
My grandfather worked at the Ludlow mine. He work as a
lumberjack
getting the timbers down and shaping the beams. He was part of
the
strikers but did live in the mining camps. 
I am a past president of the So. Colorado labor council and we
have
been looking for this for a long time. I received a message
from
John Salazar's office, he is our congressman in Co. 3rd., on
Nov. 7th that it had
been approved by the Interior department. I understood that it
was still to go
before congress for finial approval.  It could not come soon
enough 

Mike Guagliardo
Retired Steelworker
Pueblo, Co.

[guappo1]

8. correction

Did not live in the camps but did strike

[Omaha Steve]

17. Welcome to the DU guappo1

I didn't expect this great response from several members.

[originalpckelly]

10. That's so cool, yet another smallworlder!

It's really neat to have so many people with family history ties to this.

[fishwax]

11. welcome to DU!

:toast:

[Mudoria]

12. Long overdue

[fishwax]

13. great to see this recognition

An important and tragic moment in our history, to be sure.

[burrowowl]

14. I strongly recommend

Howard Zinn's: A Peoples' History of the United States. Not only does it discuss the Ludlow Massacre, but other incidents as well.

[leftstreet]

15. I double strongly recommend it!

Excellent book

[leftstreet]

16. K&R