'On April 20, 1914, twenty innocent men, women and children were killed in the Ludlow Massacre. The coal miners in Colorado and other western states had been trying to join the UMWA for many years. They were bitterly opposed by the coal operators, led by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. At that time, miners and their families lived in "company towns" - towns that were set up, managed and controlled by the company. The company owned the homes, the stores, managed the schools, even chose and paid for the church ministers.
On Sept 23, 1913, nine thousand workers went on strike protesting $1.68-a-day wages and the lack of freedom of choice in the company towns. Upon striking, the miners and their families had been evicted from their company-owned houses and set up tent colonies on public property. The companies brought in strikebreakers and supplied Colorado militiamen to break the strike. Over the course of the months, the camps were shot at, trying to scare the workers back to work. Foxholes were dug under the tents so the women and children could escape the raids. On April 20th, the camps were attacked. Twenty people were killed that day, including two women and eleven children who burned to death. Later investigations revealed that kerosene had intentionally been poured on the tents to set them ablaze.' (from web resources.)
The plaque reads as follows:
<p."On April 20, 1914, the State Militia unleashed an unwarranted attack on striking coal miners and their families living in a tent colony at this site. Eleven children and two women suffocated in a cellar beneath a tent when flames engulfed the overhead shelter. Militia rifle and machine gun fire claimed the lives of at least 5 strikers, an ll year old boy, and an 18 year old passerby.
The unexpected attack was the fateful climax of miners attempting to achieve freedom from oppression at the hands of coal company officials. Miners were forced to live in company owned camps, buy from company owned stores, and educated their children in company dominated schools. Miners worked unduly long hours under hazardous conditions for meager pay.
On Sept. 23, 1913, miners stuck in protest of these conditions, calling for the recognition of the United Mine Workers Union. Eventually, the alleged peace keeping militia became infiltrated with company gunmen, leading to this - the Ludlow Massacre.
UMWA L.U. 9856 Dist. 15"
The UMWA has installed large, colorful signs that explain the story of the Ludlow Massacre and mining's place in Colorado and Labor history. This area was studied by archaeologists between 1997-2002 to explore the living and working conditions of Colorado coal miners in this area. There is a large wooden box mounted to the fence of this monument. Inside the box is a Visitor's Log and a 3-ring Binder with ink-jet photos of the striking miners and the came. I was surprised to see that the strikers were a mix of Caucasian, Latino and African-American.
The monument was severely vandalized (the head was knocked off both the male figure and female figure, as well as the arm on the female figure) in 2003. (To date, no arrests have been made, even with a $10,000 reward.) It took quite a bit of time to find granite that would match so the figures could be repaired. The repaired monument was rededicated in June 2005.
The violence and profiteering of Colorado's mine companies is often glossed over in history classes. This is a wonderful site to learn how out ancestors fought for organized labor and mine safety. You may find many resources about this event with a web search of 'Ludlow Massacre.'
Also see http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2906 .