Ludlow in Las Animas County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Rediscovering Ludlow
Archaeologists uncovered the original tent colony
Between 1997 and 2002 archaeologists studied the living conditions of miners in southern Colorado.
Archaeologists carried out excavations at the Berwind coal camp and the Ludlow tent colony - two sites from the 1913-1914 Colorado coalfield strike. Many of the strikers at the Ludlow colony came from the nearby company-owned town of Berwind.
Using various techniques, archaeologists located individual tents and cellars.
The project set out to determine the size and layout of the colony and to see if anything remained underground. Archaeologists mapped artifacts on the surface, used traditional excavations, ground penetrating radar (GPR), and historic photo overlay.
Historic photo overlay uses a special camera to project a historic image onto a modern landscape. This method was successful in locating the remains of three tents in the northwest section of the colony about 100 feet ahead of you.
GPR transmits a radar signal into the ground. This technique provides clues to what lies beneath without ever having to dig. GPR located 8 buried cellars. Two were fully excavated.
Archaeology
at Ludlow was more than just excavations. Laboratory work, including cleaning, identifying, and analyzing artifacts, played a vital role. By combining information about artifacts and their locations, archaeologists were able to draw conclusions about what life was like.
Captions
Middle Left: Archaeologist sweeping the site with ground penetrating radar
Upper Right: Students processing artifacts from the tent colony
Middle Right: Drawing of tent outline pictured below
Lower Right: Excavated soil stains showing tent outline
Erected by UMWA Local 9856 Women's Auxiliary.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Labor Unions. A significant historical year for this entry is 1997.
Location. 37° 20.349′ N, 104° 35.03′ W. Marker is in Ludlow, Colorado, in Las Animas County. Marker is at the intersection of County Highway 44 and County Highway 61.5, on the right when traveling west on County Highway 44. The marker is located at the Ludlow Memorial in front of the monument. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Trinidad CO 81082, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Testimonies & Memories (here, next to this marker); History Revealed (here, next to this marker); United Mine Workers of America
(here, next to this marker); Legacy (here, next to this marker); Tent Life (here, next to this marker); Company Towns (here, next to this marker); Celebration & Sorrow (here, next to this marker); The Ludlow Massacre (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ludlow.
Also see . . . Ludlow Massacre. Wikipedia (Submitted on March 14, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 15, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 14, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 69 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 15, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.