Striking miners gather outside the Calumet office of the Western Federaion of Miners in 1913. Photo courtesy Michigan Tech Archives, Image #MS003-007-001C-12 (click on image for additional details)
Community input and volunteers are sought for planning activities to mark the centennial of the 1913 Michigan copper miners’ strike. A public meeting is scheduled for Saturday, January 28, 2012, at 1:00pm at the Calumet Visitor Center of Keweenaw National Historical Park, in the Historic Union Building at 98 Fifth Street in Calumet, Michigan. Refreshments will be served.
The nearly year-long strike by members of the Western Federation of Miners in 1913-14 is one of the most significant events in Copper Country history and also figures critically in national labor struggles of the era.
Current ideas for marking the centennial include historical exhibits, tours of historic sites connected to the strike’s events, publication of books and web content, a symposium on historical topics, tie-in activities for K-12 students, a memorial ceremony on the centennial of the Italian Hall tragedy, and many other public events across the region.
The January 28 meeting will provide an update on planning to date, discuss ideas for additional activities, and seek volunteers able to move specific events forward. For more information contact the Michigan Tech Archives at 906-487-2505, e-mail at copper@mtu.edu, or visit 1913strike.wordpress.com.
At times I feel that the Italian Hall disaster is viewed as an us verses them event. This is not what this event in 2013 should be. It should be a memorial event to remember the people who were killed due to a series of unfortunate circumstances.