Suddenly the sound of buzzing quit

The large mill at Chippewa Falls dominated the river front scene. The mill was rebuilt several times during its history, often being washed out by floods and damaged by logs carried by high water. In its later years, the operation was owned by Frederick C. Weyerhaeuser and his associates.

     Labor conditions in Wisconsin's lumber mills in the 1800s were generally poor. The Civil War era had ended and the labor force was again at a peak.
     The usual work day was 12 hours, but during times of great demand for lumber, 14 to 18-hour days were not uncommon. In addition, owners of mills generally made contracts with workers in which 20 to 25 percent of each week's wages were retained by the company until the end of the season as an "incentive" to stay on the job.
     This was the setting for the 1881 strike by Eau Claire mill workers which became known as the "Sawdust War." It was one of the first attempts to change working conditions.
     This strike was also one of the earliest labor disputes in Wisconsin and was reported by most of the major U. S. newspapers and magazines.

All closed by noon

     At 6 a.m., July 18, 1881, work began at the Eau Claire Lumber Company when "all of a sudden the establishments were dispeopled" as the Eau Claire "Free Press" reported it. The 300 workers at the mill left their jobs and set off to other mills to shut them down.
     Most of the other mill workers readily joined the strikers, but at a few mills boilers were shut down by force and some machinery was smashed. All Eau Claire mills were shut down by noon.
      The reaction to the strike by owners was mixed.
      At the Shaw Company, armed guards turned back strikers, but at Sherman's Mill, Capt. Sherman ordered a 10-hour day with full pay. Sherman also took the men to a nearby brewery for a round of free beer.

Leaders state demands

     That afternoon a mass meeting was held at West Side Park attended by 1,000 to 2,000 persons. Strikers were addressed by leaders who set out their demands: A 10-hour work day, full payment of wages and keeping company-owned boarding houses open during the strike.
     F. F. Frawley, a lawyer and member of the city council, gave a speech, only to be denounced by the "Free Press" as a "turbulent demagogue with a disposition to engage in almost any disreputable public proceeding which promised either notoriety or money."
     The owners met to draft a letter to Gov. William Smith demanding that he call out the state militia. They noted that many of the strikers were single men "without property interest in Eau Claire or permanent homes anywhere." The mill owners had never used this argument when they hired single men at lower wages.

Saloons ordered closed

     Mayor E. J. Farr issued an order closing saloons during the strike, with the statement "fearing the mob might get the worst of liquor under the excitement of the day, and in their infuriation damage property."
     Workers paraded through the streets each day carrying banners which read:
     "We are no mob, but strikers. We as not for 8 or 12 hours, but 10 hours or no more sawdust."
     "Ten hours or no sawdust" became the motto of the strikers.
     Mill owners began to hire strike-breakers, some of them reportedly coming from Chicago. With these action the mood became more violent, fist fights broke out and some machinery was wrecked.
     Gov. Smith visited Eau Claire July 22 and discussed the situation with city officials and mill owners, but he refused to talk to a delegation of the strikers. The five leaders of the strikers were arrested when they tried to see the governor.
     Mill owners again asked Smith to call out the militia. Since the owners presumably had property interests and permanent homes in Eau Claire, the governor did order six militia companies into the city.
     The companies, from Madison, Jamesville, Watertown, Portage and Maustin, arrived the next day, July 23. They were billeted on grounds of the courthouse (which they renamed Camp Smith) and at Randall Park (Renamed Camp Farr).

The militia found little to do in the city

     In 1938, Charles Lamb, one of the militiamen, published his memoirs of the strike in the "Wisconsin Magazine of History" and recalled the time as one of playing ball, cards, reading, wrestling and drinking blackberry brandy for "intestinal disturbances."
     Gov. Smith spoke to 3,000 strikers and supporters of the strike at the park on Saturday afternoon and according to reports at the time, his remarks showed a characteristic ambiance toward the strike.
     He said "Everybody not blinded by passion or self interest is able to realize and endorse the lucid proposition that while every workman, of whatever station, has a perfect right to work or strike as he deems best, he has no right by intimidation or force to compel those to stop work who do not want to do so."
     The militia left Eau Claire July 28. To show there were no hard feelings, the workers held a banquet and dance for militia members. Mayor Farr and other leading citizens attended and treated the other guests to lengthy speeches on labor relations.
     The mills opened again July 25, but did not reach full production until early August. The remaining strikers were persuaded to return to work when storekeepers in the city were pressured into refusing them credit.
     Faced with work or not eating, the men started returning to the mills.

Strike leaders blacklisted

     Jailed strike leaders pleaded guilty and were fined $50. They were subsequently blacklisted, refused employment at any Eau Claire mill. The mill owners generally did not make immediate concessions.
     John B. Owen took a vote to see whether his men wanted a 10-hour day for $1 (current wage for 11 hours) or an 11-hour day for $1.10. The workers chose the latter.
     However, in 1882 most of the mills abolished the wage holding provisions of the contract and an 11-hour day became standard by 1885.
     Another strike in 1892 finally brought about the 10-hour day.
     Although effects of the strike were not felt immediately, they did produce a growing sentiment for organized labor among workers. After 181, strikes became more common in other areas and fields.
     In the late 1880s, unions, particularly the Knights of Labor, found great support in the mills of the Eau Claire area.

- John A. Klinger

Extracted from the Eau Claire Leader Telegram
Special Publication, Our Story 'The Chippewa Valley and Beyond', published 1976
Used with permission.