07/12/2024
We found out today, that a grant we assisted on was awarded by the National Park Service Battlefields Preservation Program for the Ludlow Tent Site, located north of Trinidad.
News Release Date: July 10, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
WASHINGTON – The National Park Service (NPS) today awarded $1,183,993.50 to eight recipients of Preservation Planning Grants through the American Battlefield Protection Program, helping recipients from the metropolitan edge of New York City to the grasslands of Las Animas County, Colorado, preserve battlefields and other sites of armed conflict.
“The diverse grant opportunities provided through the American Battlefield Protection Program help our preservation partners study and protect almost 400 years of conflict history,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “By supporting these localized efforts, all Americans gain the opportunity to learn from these conflicts and understand their impact on the foundation and growth of this country."
Historic battlefields and sites of armed conflict are powerful reminders of the shared heritage of all Americans. To learn and heal from the past, NPS promotes the preservation and interpretation of these important places.
One of the projects funded will support the development of a comprehensive preservation and interpretation plan for the Ludlow Tent Colony Site, a pivotal location of the 10-day armed conflict between the United Mine Workers of America and the Colorado National Guard, known as the Colorado Coalfield War or “War of 1914.” After several attempts to get major coal companies to meet their demands – including honoring the eight-hour workday and Colorado’s existing mine safety rules – the United Mine Workers declared a general strike to force the issue. On April 20, 1914, National Guardsmen aligned with the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company attacked the Ludlow Tent Colony to try and break the strike, killing 21 people (including 11 children) in what became known as the “Ludlow Massacre.” The act of collective violence ignited 10-days of continuous warfare in Colorado, until President Woodrow Wilson ordered federal troops to disarm both sides and restore order.
The grant recipient, the United Mine Workers of America, will work with local and national preservation partners to plan for the long-term preservation and interpretation of the Ludlow site, a National Historic Landmark, in a sustainable and ethical manner, and will include the lesser-known contributions of immigrants, women, and children to the story of this turning point in U.S. labor history.
