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U.S.
Senator Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees |
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For Immediate
Release Tuesday, October 7, 2008 |
CONTACT:Michael Amodeo – 303-455-7600 |
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Senator Salazar Continues Push to Make Ludlow Tent Colony Site a National Historic Landmark DENVER, CO – Today, in anticipation of a scheduled meeting of the National Park System Advisory Board, United States Senator Ken Salazar sent a letter to the chief of the National Historic Landmark Program in strong support of the nomination of the Ludlow Tent Colony as a National Historic Landmark. The National Park System Advisory Board is expected to consider the nomination at its October 28-29 meeting in Washington, DC. Senator Salazar has also introduced legislation, S. 2893, which would designate site of the Ludlow Massacre as a National Historic Landmark. In his letter, Senator Salazar writes: "The site of the 1914 Ludlow Massacre is central to our nation’s understanding and memory of the labor struggles of the early 20th century, to the region’s identity, and to the descendents of all those involved in the 1913-1914 strike and other labor conflicts of the era. It is fully deserving of National Historic Landmark status.” To read the full text of Senator Salazar’s letter, click here. The 1913-1914 coal strike in Southern Colorado was one of the most visible and violent labor conflicts of the early 20th century. After months of stalemate between the coal companies and the United Mine Workers of America, rising tensions sparked a daylong battle at the Ludlow Tent Colony on April 20, 1914. The day has come to be known
as one of the darkest days in Colorado history. In the midst of the
gun battle, the tent colony caught fire. Two women and eleven children,
seeking shelter in a pit under one of the tents, were killed. The 'Ludlow
Massacre' focused the eyes of the Nation on southern Colorado and highlighted
the dangers of coal mining, and the relationship between the miners,
the union, and the coal companies. ###
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