Western Federation of Miners union hall
Encyclopedia
The Western Federation of Miners Union Hall is a historic building in danger of collapse in the Victor Downtown Historic District
of Victor, Colorado
.
The building was a meeting place for the members of Western Federation of Miners
Local No. 32. In June 1904, the Colorado National Guard shot at miners taking refuge in the union hall during the Colorado Labor Wars
. The building bears at least nine bullet holes from the attack.
The union deeded the hall to the Victor School District in the 1920s. It was abandoned in the 1970s and used briefly in the 1980s as a restaurant.
As of 2005, two of the five beams supporting the roof have broken and the group applied for a grant from the Colorado Historical Society to replace the roof.
In July 2008 the building was sold to a nearby shop owner. The Victor Heritage Society is working to rescue and restore the building.
Victor Downtown Historic District
Victor Downtown Historical District is a historic district encompassing several blocks of Victor, Colorado listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
of Victor, Colorado
Victor, Colorado
Victor is a Statutory City in Teller County, Colorado, United States. The population was 445 at the 2000 census.Victor is in the heart of Colorado's gold country, home to two of the major gold mines in the Cripple Creek mining district...
.
The building was a meeting place for the members of Western Federation of Miners
Western Federation of Miners
The Western Federation of Miners was a radical labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mines of the western United States and British Columbia. Its efforts to organize both hard rock miners and smelter workers brought it into sharp conflicts – and often pitched battles...
Local No. 32. In June 1904, the Colorado National Guard shot at miners taking refuge in the union hall during the Colorado Labor Wars
Colorado Labor Wars
Colorado's most significant battles between labor and capital occurred primarily between miners and mine operators. In these battles the state government, with one clear exception, always took the side of the mine operators....
. The building bears at least nine bullet holes from the attack.
The union deeded the hall to the Victor School District in the 1920s. It was abandoned in the 1970s and used briefly in the 1980s as a restaurant.
As of 2005, two of the five beams supporting the roof have broken and the group applied for a grant from the Colorado Historical Society to replace the roof.
In July 2008 the building was sold to a nearby shop owner. The Victor Heritage Society is working to rescue and restore the building.