Columbine Mine / Coal Field Country

Columbine Mine, also, Coal Field Country. . , Front , Colorado's Northern Coal Field: Lest We Forget, Colorado's immense northern coal field, centered beneath these rolling hills, contributed to the early development and growth of Colorado and to the birth of nearby towns. Miners and mine owners in this area battled over issues of workers' conditions, wages and rights through many conflicts over the years. In 1927 tensions mounted for weeks as pickets urged the Columbine Mine workers to join the statewide strike called by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). On November 21, several hundred men and women gathered at the mine, 1-1/2 miles northwest of here. After a confrontation with state police, gunfire erupted killing six union miners and wounding many others. Following this tragedy, mine owners finally signed lasting union contracts with the Union Mine Workers of America (UMWA). The sacrifice of these miners and their families manifested the struggle for the rights and dignity of all Colorado coal miners. , Rear , Coal Field Country , {Map of the events.}