Red Lodge in Carbon County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Labor Temple
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 26, 2011
1. Labor Temple Marker
Inscription.
Labor Temple. . Red Lodge Miner’s Local No. 1771 had grown to more than a thousand members when this labor temple was built in 1909. The United Mine Workers of America organized nationally in 1896 and by 1898, Local No. 1771 had 200 members. The building is a testament to the labor struggles of Red Lodge coal miners and the primary symbol of labor history in the area. John Horne of Laurel designed the $36,000 building and Butte Local #22 contributed major funding. John Massow, building committee chairman, took the train to Butte and returned with a $10,000 loan in his pocket. Carved sandstone with the words “Labor Temple” at the center of the parapet proclaims the building’s purpose. The temple included a union meeting hall, union offices, a library, and a saloon for members called the Workers’ Club of Carbon County. Old-timers say club patrons were mostly Welsh, Scottish, and Irish; miners of other ethnic groups frequented local establishments run by their compatriots. The Finnish Kaleva Cooperative Mercantile, a reflection of the town’s colorful ethnic diversity, was the original ground floor tenant.
Red Lodge Miner’s Local No. 1771 had grown to more than a thousand members when this labor temple was built in 1909. The United Mine Workers of America organized nationally in 1896 and by 1898, Local No. 1771 had 200 members. The building is a testament to the labor struggles of Red Lodge coal miners and the primary symbol of labor history in the area. John Horne of Laurel designed the $36,000 building and Butte Local #22 contributed major funding. John Massow, building committee chairman, took the train to Butte and returned with a $10,000 loan in his pocket. Carved sandstone with the words “Labor Temple” at the center of the parapet proclaims the building’s purpose. The temple included a union meeting hall, union offices, a library, and a saloon for members called the Workers’ Club of Carbon County. Old-timers say club patrons were mostly Welsh, Scottish, and Irish; miners of other ethnic groups frequented local establishments run by their compatriots. The Finnish Kaleva Cooperative Mercantile, a reflection of the town’s colorful ethnic diversity, was the original ground floor tenant.
Erected by Montana National Register Sign Program.
Location. 45° 11.381′ N, 109° 14.824′ W. Marker is in Red Lodge, Montana, in Carbon County. Marker is at the intersection of North Broadway Avenue (U.S. 212) and 8th Street, on the right when traveling north on North Broadway Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Red Lodge MT 59068, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 24, 2019. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 612 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on August 2, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.