Gallup in McKinley County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Coal Mining Era
Andrew Butler, Muralist, 2005
Photographed by Mark Parker, October 8, 2023
1. Coal Mining Era Marker
Coal mining was one of Gallup's biggest industries from the 1880s through the 1950s. Mining jobs drew workers from across the nation and around the world. Wages were good and housing was often provided. Over time fifty-seven mines in the Gallup area provided coal to the railroad and to industry.
The first coal miners' strike was in 1917. Coal mining had peaked. Demand declined over the next twelve years and by the great depression half of Gallup's coal miners were out of work. During the 1933 strike martial law was declared.
The 1935 Gallup Riot took place along this alley. An unemployed union miner had been evicted from his home in the Chihuahuita neighborhood. He and another miner were arraigned. As one prisoner was being returned to jail, a gun went off causing a riot. Three persons were killed. Ten suspects, scapegoated as radicals, endured a lengthy trial. All were acquitted or pardoned, but many were deported.
Community members who guided the development of this mural are Chris and Jennie Lee DiGregorio, Marc Depauli, Jennifer Boots Marshall and Joe Zecca
With thanks to the Joe Zecca family for the use of this wall.
Reproduction rights belong to the City of Gallup
Erected 2005.
Topics. This historical marker is listed
this page online
Location. 35° 31.594′ N, 108° 44.585′ W. Marker is in Gallup, New Mexico, in McKinley County. It can be reached from West Coal Avenue east of South 3rd Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 223 W Coal Ave, Gallup NM 87301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New Mexico’s San Juan Basin. It is also in the American Southwest, in Colorado Plateau, and at the Four Corners. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Women's Multicultural Mural (within shouting distance of this marker); Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Navajo Code Talkers' Mural (about 400 feet away); Great Gallup (about 400 feet away); Richardson's Trading Company (about 400 feet away); The Rex Hotel (about 500 feet away); Long Walk Home (about 600 feet away); Zuni (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gallup.
More about this marker. The marker and the two murals related to the marker are along an alleyway between South 3rd and South 2nd Streets, behind the storefront buildings on West Coal Avenue. The closest storefront business is Quintana's Music Center on West Coal Avenue.
Photographed by Mark Parker, October 8, 2023
2. One of two Coal Mining Area murals referenced by the marker
Photographed by Mark Parker, October 8, 2023
3. One of two Coal Mining Area murals referenced by the marker
This mural is a depiction of the 1935 Gallup Riots that took place in the alley where the two murals and marker are located.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 402 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 2, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
