Painesdale Mine and Shaft, Inc., to hold ceremony commemorating 1913-1914 Copper Range Miners Strike Sept. 21

PAINESDALE -- Painesdale Mine and Shaft, Inc., will commemorate the 1913-1914 Copper Range Miners Strike with a Memorial Ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013, in the Albert Paine Memorial United Methodist Church, 54385 Iroquois Street, Painesdale.

The event is free and open to the public.

Several violent incidents occurred in the Painesdale area during the 1913-14 Strike, including the Seeberville murders, the Dally-Jane murders and clashes between the Citizens Alliance and the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) union.

This is a photo of the Putrich Boarding House, site of the Seeberville murders that occurred on Aug. 14, 2013. A group of Waddell strikebreakers, hired by the Copper Range mining company, had followed two striking Croatian mine workers to the house and ended up shooting at the unarmed residents. Steve Putrich (brother of Joseph Putrich, the Croatian landlord) and 18-year-old Alois Tijan (also referred to as Louis) were killed; several residents of the boarding house were wounded. (Photo courtesy Michigan Tech Archives)

Another violent incident in this area -- the Dally-Jane murders -- happened in the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 7, 1913, at the Dally Boarding House in Painesdale, whose residents were Cornish. Shots fired into the house killed brothers Arthur and Harry Jane and Thomas Dally (non-union miners) and seriously wounded Mary Nicholson.

The Dally Boarding House in Painesdale, site of the Dally-Jane murders on Dec. 7, 1913. (Photo courtesy Michigan Tech Archives)

The tentative schedule of events for the Commemoration Ceremony is as follows:
Albert Paine Memorial United Methodist Church:
Doors Open - 10:30 a. m.
Ceremony Begins - 11 a. m.
Invocation - Minister Mary Laub
Presentation of the Colors - VFW Ranger Post #6165
Pledge of Allegiance - All
Star Spangled Banner - All
Introductory Remarks
Speaker - Scott Dianda, State Representative 110th District
Speaker - Gary Kaunonen, Author and Historian
Public Testimonials
Benediction - Minister Mary Laub
Taps
Tribute to Our Heritage
Refreshments and cake in the basement

Free tours of Champion No. 4 Shafthouse, Captain’s Office, and Hoist Building  available one-half hour after the Ceremony

Maps of Historical Painesdale available.