Today in Labor History November 23, 1903: Army troops were sent to Cripple Creek, Colorado to put down a rebellion by striking coal miners. 600 union members were thrown into a military bullpen, and held for weeks without charges. When a lawyer arrived with a writ of habeas corpus, General Bell, who led the repression, responded "Habeas corpus, hell! We'll give 'em post mortems!” The Pinkertons were heavily involved in the Colorado Labor Wars, as agent provocateurs, spies, and armed thugs operating for the mine owners. The strike was led by Big Bill Haywood and the Western Federation of Miners, which, at the time, was one of the most militant unions in the country, calling for revolution and abolition of the wage system. A year and a half later, Haywood would go on to cofound the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), along with Mother Jones, Lucy Parsons, Eugene Debs, James Connolly, Ralph Chaplin, and others.

You can read my full-length article on the Western Federation of Miners here:
https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2021/05/13/the-western-federation-of-miners/

You can read my full-length article on the Pinkertons here: https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/04/union-busting-by-the-pinkertons/

#workingclass #LaborHistory #mining #coal #union #strike #freespeech #freepress #revolution #prison #police #policebrutality #rebellion #colorado #cripplecreek

Today in Labor History June 6, 1894: Colorado’s governor sent in the state militia to support the Cripple Creek miners' strike, the only time in history that a state militia was used to help a workers’ struggle, rather than to suppress it. The mine owners were demanding a 10-hour day without an increase in pay. In response, the miners went on strike. There was considerable violence from both sides during the strike, led by the Western Federation of Miners (WFM). On March 16, some miners ambushed, shot and beat some sheriff’s deputies. The judge, a WFM member, let the miners off, but charged the deputies with carrying concealed weapons. Furious, the Sheriff arrested 20 union leaders. Meanwhile, the mine owners conspired to bring in hundreds of scabs and deputized vigilantes. When the new deputies marched on the strikers’ camp, the miners blew up several mine structures, forcing the deputies to flee. The mine owners hired hundreds more vigilantes for their army. When he heard about the size of the miner owners’ force, the governor declared the deputies illegal and sent in state troops to defend the miners.

On June 5, the day before the state troops arrived, the mine owners’ army began cutting telegraph lines and arresting reporters and hundreds of town residents. When the state troops arrived, there were already gun battles going on between the vigilante army and the miners. However, the state troops gained control of the town relatively quickly and the mine owners disbanded their army and sent them home. 300 miners were arrested, but only four were convicted. And the populist governor pardoned them all. The WFM won, keeping the 8-hour day and their $3/day wages. And, they were so popular because of their victory, that they easily organized most of the other industries in the region (e.g., waitresses, laundry workers, bartenders, newsboys) into 54 new locals.

#workingclass #LaborHistory #mining #colorado #union #strike #solidarity #militia #sabotage #police #policebrutality #acab #EightHourDay #wfm #vigilantes #cripplecreek

Today in Labor History November 23, 1903: Army troops were sent to Cripple Creek, Colorado to put down a rebellion by striking coal miners. 600 union members were thrown into a military bullpen, and held for weeks without charges. When a lawyer arrived with a writ of habeas corpus, General Bell, who led the repression, responded "Habeas corpus, hell! We'll give 'em post mortems!” The Pinkertons were heavily involved in the Colorado Labor Wars, as agent provocateurs, spies, and armed thugs operating for the mine owners. The strike was led by Big Bill Haywood and the Western Federation of Miners, which, at the time, was one of the most militant unions in the country, calling for revolution and abolition of the wage system. A year and a half later, Haywood would go on to cofound the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), along with Mother Jones, Lucy Parsons, Eugene Debs, James Connolly, Ralph Chaplin, and others.

You can read my full-length article on the Western Federation of Miners here:
https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2021/05/13/the-western-federation-of-miners/

You can read my full-length article on the Pinkertons here: https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/04/union-busting-by-the-pinkertons/

#workingclass #LaborHistory #mining #coal #union #strike #freespeech #freepress #revolution #prison #police #policebrutality #rebellion #colorado #cripplecreek

One dead, more than 20 rescued after equipment malfunction at Cripple Creek mine tour
https://www.koaa.com/news/covering-colorado/teller-county-commissioners-confirm-an-active-recovery-at-mollie-kathleen-gold-mine
Post-rescue news conference with sheriff
https://youtu.be/Yl7_hyA2Jnk
#MollieKathleen #CrippleCreek #TellerCounty #Colorado

1 dead, 12 are trapped in a former Cripple Creek gold mine

“We do have a plan B and a plan C already set in place with rescue officers.”

https://sentinelcolorado.com/state-and-region-news/1-dead-12-are-trapped-in-a-former-cripple-creek-gold-mine/

#CrippleCreek #NoPaywall

#COwx #CrippleCreek

From ABC News: Multiple people trapped underground in Colorado gold mine, officials say

https://www.aol.com/multiple-people-trapped-underground-colorado-211959737.html

Today in Labor History June 6, 1894: Colorado’s governor sent in the state militia to support the Cripple Creek miners' strike, the only time in history that a state militia was used to help a workers’ struggle, rather than to suppress it. The mine owners were demanding a 10-hour day without an increase in pay. In response, the miners went on strike. There was considerable violence from both sides during the strike, led by the Western Federation of Miners (WFM). On March 16, some miners ambushed, shot and beat some sheriff’s deputies. The judge, a WFM member, let the miners off, but charged the deputies with carrying concealed weapons. Furious, the Sheriff arrested 20 union leaders. Meanwhile, the mine owners conspired to bring in hundreds of scabs and deputized vigilantes. When the new deputies marched on the strikers’ camp, the miners blew up several mine structures, forcing the deputies to flee. The mine owners hired hundreds more vigilantes for their army. When he heard about the size of the miner owners’ force, the governor declared the deputies illegal and sent in state troops to defend the miners.

On June 5, the day before the state troops arrived, the mine owners’ army began cutting telegraph lines and arresting reporters and hundreds of town residents. When the state troops arrived, there were already gun battles going on between the vigilante army and the miners. However, the state troops gained control of the town relatively quickly and the mine owners disbanded their army and sent them home. 300 miners were arrested, but only four were convicted. And the populist governor pardoned them all. The WFM won, keeping the 8-hour day and their $3/day wages. And, they were so popular because of their victory, that they easily organized most of the other industries in the region (e.g., waitresses, laundry workers, bartenders, newsboys) into 54 new locals.

#workingclass #LaborHistory #mining #colorado #union #strike #solidarity #militia #sabotage #police #policebrutality #acab #EightHourDay #wfm #vigilantes #cripplecreek

Charting a course for stream restoration at Cripple Creek
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Salmon and their finned brethren are a lot like Sunday drivers. They enjoy meandering in curved passages, stopping to rest in the shade and grabbing a bite to eat along their journey.

A century ago, Cripple Creek in Fairbanks’ western neighborhoods offered such...
https://alaska-native-news.com/charting-a-course-for-stream-restoration-at-cripple-creek/73752/
#cripplecreek #salmon #restoration #fairbanks #keller

Today in Labor History November 23, 1903: Army troops were sent to Cripple Creek, Colorado to put down a rebellion by striking coal miners. 600 union members were thrown into a military bullpen, and held for weeks without charges. When a lawyer arrived with a writ of habeas corpus, General Bell, who led the repression, responded "Habeas corpus, hell! We'll give 'em post mortems!” The strike was led by Big Bill Haywood and the Western Federation of Miners, which, at the time, was the most militant union in the country, calling for revolution and abolition of the wage system.

#WorkingClass #LaborHistory #mining #coal #union #strike #FreeSpeech #FreePress #revolution #prison #police #PoliceBrutality #rebellion #colorado #CrippleCreek

Cripple Creek, Colorado. July 1978. Scanned from a 35mm Kodachrome slide.

#OldPhotos #Kodachrome #Colorado #CrippleCreek

Cripple Creek, Colorado. June 1958. Scanned from a 35mm Kodachrome slide.

#oldphotos #kodachrome #colorado #cripplecreek #Photomonday #FotoMontag