Silver Valley Mining Wars: Part 1
Through the discovery of gold by Andrew Prichard in 1882 a human avalanche of 5,000 “gold rushers” soon descended on the area around Eagle Creek and Murray. But within a year, these prospectors began spilling over the Coeur d’Alene mountains to the south to prospect for additional gold deposits. However, lead-silver outcroppings were found, rather than gold, and claims were filed.
The first lead-silver outcropping was discovered in Burke Canyon on May 2, 1884, by John Carton and Almedas Seymore and given the name the Tiger mine.
With this news, large investors soon brought in equipment to build mine shafts, housing for miners, and railroads for moving the ore. They also had to protect their interests from claim jumpers and trespassers. Early on, the silver mine owners responded by hiring two detective agencies, the Pinkertons and the Thiels.
Independent miners’ unions had formed locally. The Pinkerton agents who had infiltrated the unions at the request of the mine owners concluded that the local union was a “vicious” gang of anarchists with philosophies such as these: It’s a waste of time to try to get cooperation between labor and capital or to gain political power. Thus, anyone who runs for any office is an enemy of labor. Also, lie if you must and use dynamite to maim, kill or destroy in order to make a point.
In order to counter the growing power of the unions, the mine owners formed the Mine Owners’ Association. This was not seen by the unions as a good development. Tensions between the owners and miners increased dramatically when the price of silver fell to $0.70 from its 1885 high of $1.03. Lead also suffered a similar price drop. Additionally, the railroads had increased shipping prices.
The mine owners responded by cutting the miners’ salaries and increasing their work day by an hour. The unions thus started to gain more members and a strike was called in the canyon. The MOA then began recruiting miners from out of state, and the miners attempted to devise ways to prevent the “scabs” from arriving in the canyon.
At 5 a.m. July 10, 1892, gunfire broke out at the Frisco Mill in the Burke Canyon. Three miners and a Pinkerton agent were shot to death. And, the four-story mill was completely destroyed by dynamite, killing one miner. Later in the morning, after violence had spread to the Gem Mill, 11 more were killed by gunfire, and over 100 strikebreakers were marched out of Wardner at gunpoint by miners.
President Harrison sent Army Gen. Schofield with troops to establish martial law. They arrested 600 strikers and held them without habeas corpus or right to trial.
The following year, a more powerful union that included four other states moved into Idaho — the Western Federation of Miners.
Part 2 will deal with several names that became famous (and infamous) during the wars.
The information for this column and the following columns was obtained from Robert E. Launhardt’s amazing gift of a large notebook of Silver Valley history. Now retired in the Silver Valley, Launhardt’s life was spent in the mining industry. He was chief safety officer of the Sunshine Mine at the time of the mine’s disastrous fire. The notebook is a great resource for anyone wanting to do research on Silver Valley history.
The exhibits and gift shop at the Museum of North Idaho will remain open until Oct. 28. After that time, only the offices and research library will remain open. Call 208-664-3448 to make appointments.
