Columbus in Franklin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

William Green, Labor Leader / The Columbus Streetcar Strike, 1910

William Green, Labor Leader Marker (side A) image. Click for full size.

By William Fischer, Jr., October 17, 2008

1. William Green, Labor Leader Marker (side A)

Inscription. William Green, Labor Leader A native of Coshocton County, William Green (1870-1932) began his working life as a coal miner at age 16 and rose rapidly in the leadership of the United Mine Workers of America. Twice elected to the Ohio Senate, Green served as president pro tempore during his second term. He was instrumental in enacting Ohio's first worker's compensation law in 1912, at a time when progressive-era ideals conflicted with an impersonal industrial system where workers enjoyed few rights and little security. Green, one of the outstanding American trade union leaders of the twentieth century, served as president of the American Federation of Labor from 1924 until his death in 1952.

The Columbus Streetcar Strike, 1910 In one of the most violent strikes against a public utility in the United States, members of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees (AASERE) struck the Columbus Railway and Light Company for higher wages and union recognition on April 29, 1910. Violence flared after the company fired several union employees, and escalated with the arrival of 450 guards and strikebreakers from Cleveland. For ten weeks, more than 200 streetcars were idled and 24 were destroyed. More than 100 strikebreakers were injured. In July, the National Guard

The Columbus Streetcar Strike, 1910 Marker (side B) image. Click for full size.

By William Fischer, Jr., October 17, 2008

2. The Columbus Streetcar Strike, 1910 Marker (side B)

restored peace, but the strike did not subside until October 18, without recognition for the union. Streetcar strikes were common in many cities from 1890 until World War I; other strikes had occurred in Columbus in 1890 and 1892.

Erected 2003 by The Ohio Bicentennial Commission, Columbus-Franklin County AFL-CIO, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 88-25.)

Marker series. This marker is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection marker series.

Location. 39° 57.868′ N, 83° 0.198′ W. Marker is in Columbus, Ohio, in Franklin County. Marker is at the intersection of Long Street (U.S. 33) and Front Street, on the right when traveling east on Long Street. Touch for map. Marker is in Harry E. Richter Workers Memorial Park near intersection. Marker is in this post office area: Columbus OH 43215, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. American Federation of Labor / United Mine Workers of America (here, next to this marker); Columbia Building (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); The First Telephone Central Office in Columbus Ohio (about 800 feet away); John Brickell (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Refugee Tract (approx. 0.2 miles away); Intersect (approx. 0.2 miles away); Charity Newsies (approx. 0.2 miles away); General John Hunt Morgan, CSA / Morgan's Escape (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbus.

More about this marker. According to the list provided by the Ohio Historical Society, this should be marker 89-25.

Categories. • Industry & Commerce • Labor Unions • Notable Events • Notable Persons • Railroads & Streetcars •

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on October 25, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,945 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 25, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.

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