WHEN COAL WAS KING: BD Labor Day 1907

BD Labor Day 1907 – Labor Day celebrations as shown here in Black Diamond, date to the holiday’s establishment by federal law in 1894. The origin of a holiday for laboring classes coalesced after Chicago’s Haymarket Riots in 1886 when an unknown assailant threw a bomb at police, killing seven officers and four civilians, while injuring scores of others. In May 1894 at the company town of Pullman, Chicago, a nationwide railway strike was born which crippled transportation west of Detroit. President Grover Cleveland intervened in the labor dispute, eventually ordering the Army to prevent striking workers from halting rail traffic. Thirty people were killed in subsequent riots as violence and sabotage created over $80 million in damage. With bitter feelings rampant throughout the country, President Cleveland and Congress quickly passed legislation to establish the first Monday of September as a holiday to honor America’s laborers. In time Labor Day came to represent the unofficial end of summer, the beginning of the school year, and the last day in fashion when it’s acceptable to wear white. This 1907 photo was taken at the Black Diamond railroad depot, which now serves as the museum, and comes courtesy of the Black Diamond Historical Society. This weekend, Black Diamond once again celebrates Labor Day including the famous parade, which rolls down Highway 169 on Monday at 10 am. There are plenty of other events on Saturday and Sunday. For more information go to the Black Diamond Labor Days’ Facebook page or consult the website: www.BlackDiamondLaborDays.org