0823 - 1913 Strike Poster

The influence of the mining industry is critical to Copper Country history. Around the turn of the century, the big companies in the area were reaping their greatest profits. All this would come to a halt in the summer of 1913, as disenchanted miners began a strike that would tear the region apart. Aided by the Montana-based union The Western Federation of Miners (WFM), the strikers fought against local law enforcement, strike breakers, and even the Michigan National Guard. Months of vandalism, terror, harassment and violence followed. The strike finally ended following one of the greatest tragedies of the early 20th century, and its effects can still be seen and felt in the area to this day.