Mines Shape a Community

Mines Shape a Community. . Immigrants working in the mines shaped Sheridan County's rich cultural identity Although the majority of immigrants came from Poland, over 20 nationalities were represented in the Sheridan County mines. Many Polish food dishes, drinks, and holiday events continue to be celebrated throughout the community. , Nationalities in the Mines , American . Welsh . Czechoslovakian . German . Slovakian . Swedish . Polish . Scottish . Bulgarian . Serbian . Japanese . Russian . Italian . English . Bohemian . Silesian . French . Yugoslavian . Hungarian . Irish . Austrian . Montenegrin . Greek . Croatian . , Immigration , Thousands of immigrants found their way to the mines north of Sheridan. While differences existed among miners in the camps, as a general rule, the common experiences and dangers of the mines bonded the miners together, regardless of ethnicity. , Discrimination , Language barriers, cultural diversity, and a dependence on Sheridan as the regional hub led to discrimination between the larger town and mining camps and towns. Even though the mines supported Sheridan, the larger town's residents viewed those from the mining communities as second class citizens. , Americanization , The mining settlements were arranged with each nationally comprising a neighborhood. Formal Americanization classes and the cultural melting pot of the communities resulted in assimilation into American culture. , Unionization , In 1903, Dietz workers were the first in Wyoming to form a "local" within the United Mine Works of America. Unionization resulted in higher wages, shorter hours, increased mine safety, and improved working conditions. , In 1919, the Sheridan mines participated in a nationwide strike for higher wages, shorter workdays and work weeks. Shown above, the National Guard was called in to round up the miners striking at Carneyville and detained them at Fort MacKenzie. All miners were eventually released. They returned to work with a 14 percent raise., (Note: The lefthand side-bar is missing. The contributor failed to photograph it.)