Mill Strike, Shooting and Bombing in 1935
Eatonville Lumber Company
In 1935 a timberworker’s strike was called and all the mills and camps around Eatonville closed down.
Mineral was a hotbed of uncompromising striking and a man was shot on Main Street during a bitter demonstration against workers of the North Fork Logging Company.
Someone put dynamite in Russell Krones’ car on August 6. The blast tore holes through the roof of the garage. Krones was employed at the Wheeler-Osgood Mill and folks believed the strikers were the ones who bombed his car.
After the strike was over, the Tacoma Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union refused to be associated with anyone guilty of terrorism, vandalism or intimidation committed during the strike. Although the mills started operating August 15, they were still picketed. (History of Southeastern Pierce County.)
Weyerhaeuser's Camp 5 Vail — 1938
Photos courtesy of Williams family.
Click on images to enlarge.
Eatonville Lumber Company, shut down by a strike in 1935
Some of the labor problems could have been for sympathic IWW menbers whose 1930’s headquarters were in Tacoma.The International Works of World were a direct action union meaning they would burn bunks houses and drop wrenches in grear works to help achieve their demands. The logo to this day is a black cat. They are now headquartered in Ohio.
Correction IWW are International Workers of the World, and were sometimes called “Wobblies”
I need to read up on my Wobblies.
They helped bring the 8 hr day the logging industry as well better camp food and bunkhouses.
Sounds like they were a godsend.
Correction their HQ is now Chicago ,Ill
[…] Mineral got it’s start as a mining town. Prospectors came searching for gold and found coal and arsenic, which was both unfortunately and unhealthy. The would-be gold town turned to its trees and was the home of a logging camp and sawmill, neither of which you’ll find there today. You will, however, find some great fishing. […]