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1921 Mingo County coal fields war...
1921 Mingo County coal fields war...
Item # 723550
May 14, 1921
THE DAY, New London, Connecticut, May 14, 1921
* West Virginia coal mines war beginning
* Coal miners vs. operators labor conflict
* Poor working conditions - (UMWA)
* Merrimac, Mingo County
The top of the front page has a two column heading: "TO SEND FEDERAL FORCE INTO MINGO COUNTY IF MINE FEUD CONTINUES" with subheads. (see images)
Complete with 12 pages, light toning and minor wear at the margins, some tiny binding holes along the spine, generally very nice.
AI notes: On May 12, 1921, violence in the Mingo County coalfields of southern West Virginia escalated into what became known as the Mingo County coalfield war, a key episode in the broader West Virginia Mine Wars. Tensions had been building for months as unionized miners affiliated with the United Mine Workers of America clashed with coal operators determined to maintain nonunion control through company towns, private detectives, and friendly local law enforcement. The immediate outbreak followed continued evictions of union miners and their families, armed confrontations between miners and Baldwin–Felts detectives, and the imposition of martial law by state authorities. Shootings and ambushes around the towns of Matewan, Williamson, and along the Tug Fork marked the opening phase of open warfare, drawing national attention and prompting the governor to deploy state police and militia units. The unrest that began in mid-May set the stage for the much larger armed march of miners later that summer, culminating in the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest labor uprising in U.S. history.
Category: The 20th Century
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