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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024 Issue 2 - Lock-Out at Renton Mines.pdfCELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY9A BUSY FEBRUARY AT THE MUSEUM! MUSEUM REPORT In the 1880s, utility companies like Seattle Electric Co. started out providing electricity for railroads, but by the 1900s they began to see the potential of commercial and residential customers in Seattle. These companies consolidated and grew, with the help of local bankers, always with their eye on the bottom line. Why are Seattle’s utilities important to Renton history? Because in the city’s early years, Seattleites found themselves repeatedly reaching far outside city limits for resources necessary to urban life: water in the Cedar River, timber, bricks, and especially coal. As the closest coal mining town to Seattle, Renton mines looked like a convenient acquisition. What Seattle Electric did not count on was the independence of Renton miners. Also In This Issue... Continued on page 5 2 FUN WITH MAPS113 RENTON HISTORICALSOCIETY & MUSEUM Spring March 2024 Volume 55 Number 5QUARTERLY LOCK-OUT AT RENTON MINESLOCK-OUT AT RENTON MINES 2 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM THE RENTON LOOP Volunteer Researcher Don Hunsaker III is launching an initiative to document experiences and preserve objects and photos relating to the “Renton Loop,” the downtown cruising activity for so many teens between roughly 1946 and 1985. He’s looking for interviewees, photos of kids in hot cars, menus from local hang-outs, and especially police citations. These interviews, objects, and photos will eventually be used in an exhibit at the Museum. Contact us at rentonhistorymuseum@ rentonwa.gov for more info. BUSY FEBRUARY AT THE MUSEUM! The Renton Historical Society sponsored two events at the Renton History Museum in February: “Unsung Heroes,” a Black History Month event on Sat., Feb. 17, and a Luner New Year celebration on Sat., Feb. 24. We were delighted to share the Museum building for these two celebrations of Renton’s rich culture and traditions. (Photos courtesy of Erica Conway [L] and Eric Tuazon [R].) BIRTHDAY CONGRATULATIONS! Longtime Rentonite and First Federal Savings & Loan president Harry Blencoe celebrated his 100th birthday on February 17. Active in Renton Rotary and the Renton Community Foundation, Harry has also been a longtime supporter of the Renton Historical Society. Congratulations on this landmark, Harry! MUSEUM REPORT QUARTERLYWINTER 2023 I t’s almost spring, the season of new beginnings, and in that spirit, we’re announcing some big changes at the Renton History Museum. This year the people of Renton will be getting double the historical organizations, as the City of Renton takes over the operation of the Renton History Museum and the Renton Historical Society becomes an independent organization to reconceive its new future. Instead of a single unified history organization, soon Renton will be able to count on two separate, vital organizations doing history for the community. We haven’t worked out all the details yet, because it’s a very new idea, but the Museum is looking forward to continuing to benefit Renton residents and visitors with the same excellent exhibits, programs, and research that you have come to count on. We’re planning to expand our mission, to incorporate more art, science, and natural history into our work, to explore life in Renton in a more holistic way, one that acknowledges how intertwined environment, culture, and history really are. We want to continue to document and exhibit Renton’s diverse culture and history, paying tribute to the many rich traditions that have shaped our city since its founding. And we plan to continue to work with the many partners that we have developed over the years, including the Historical Society. Many of you may have noticed that, like many museums, the Renton History Museum has had difficulty recovering from the upheaval of the pandemic years. We have been understaffed and that has negatively impacted day-to-day museum operations. Our leadership has struggled to agree on a vision for the future. There won’t be a quick or simple solution to these challenges, but we believe this organizational change will set us on a new path that will better serve Renton residents and visitors. One thing that hasn’t changed is the support of the many volunteers, donors, and members like you who make everything we do possible. We appreciate you and we hope you will continue to support the Renton History Museum and the Renton Historical Society going forward. Watch this space—more news to come! by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Museum Director RENTON HISTORICAL QUARTERLY Pritchard Design Graphic Design & Layout Karl Hurst City of Renton Print & Mail Services RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dan Clawson, President Erica Conway, Vice President Leilani Hampton, Treasurer Bob Wilson, Secretary David Wakukawa Kim-Khanh Van Chris Howell Elizabeth P. Stewart, Board Liaison MUSEUM STAFF Elizabeth P. Stewart Museum Director Stephanie Snyder Museum Office Aide RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM 235 MILL AVENUE S RENTON, WA 98057 P (425) 255-2330 F (425) 255-1570 E rentonhistorymuseum rentonwa.gov HOURS: Tuesday - Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm ADMISSION: $5 (Adult) $2 (Child) Members always FREE Elizabeth P. Stewart Director Cover photo: Wives and children of Renton’s striking coal miners regularly came out to protest. Their sign reads: “Women’s Local Np. 1621 / United We Stand / Divided We Fall / We Stand for Our Rights / OR NOTHING AT ALL.” (#1976.031.0169) SPRING QUARTERLY, 2023 | 3 4 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE O n January 15th, in response to an alarm, Renton firefighters broke into our collection storage building to find a broken pipe spraying water from the wall. Fortunately, there was no damage to our collections and insurance covered cleanup and repair costs. Our first February event was a Board retreat led by museum consultant Bruce Eldredge. We approved a cooperative museum management agreement outline agreed on last March by RHS and the City to replace the expired museum management agreement. The retreat was followed by “Unsung Heroes,” a free Black History Month event organized by Vice President Erica Conway. The room was full, including Mayor Armondo Pavone and past and present City Councilmembers. Sandwiches and fresh-made sweets were served. You can see photos here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBfTHe Those honored included Margaret Proctor, the first African-American woman on the Renton City Council, the Renton High School football coaching staff, the African-American officers serving the Renton Police Department, and Mike Thomas, Pastor at Radiant Covenant Church. Grammy Award winning saxophonist Medearis Dixson played a touching and inspiring version of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the Black National Anthem. Finally, a Lunar New Year Festival event was held at the Museum. Kim-Khanh Van, a Board member and Councilmember, organized and led the event with the help of community volunteers. A traditional Vietnamese Lion dance was performed to bring good luck and positive energy to the Museum. Fifty-fout attended the event. You can see photos at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBftj1. We thank Erica, Kim-Khanh, the City of Renton, the Museum staff, and all of those who made these events so successful. RHS is committed to bringing more inclusive events and exhibits to Renton in the future. While RHS and the City continue working on an agreement, the City will operate the Museum and RHS will continue caring for its extensive collections and lending them to the Museum. We plan to host more events at the Museum and elsewhere and to set up satellite displays, while upgrading the RHS website. Our new mailing address is P.O. Box 1206, Renton, WA 98057. Please send address/phone number/email changes to rentonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com or call/text Dan at 206-595-1795. We thank you all for your support! The annual Membership Meeting is set for June 11, 2024. More information will follow. by Dan Clawson, President Dan Clawson President Renton Historical Society president Dan Clawson and vice-president Erica Conway. RHS acknowledges RHS acknowledges we are on the we are on the unceded traditional unceded traditional land of the land of the Duwamish people. Duwamish people. A people forced to A people forced to relocate, but who relocate, but who have persevered.have persevered. The Museum views the history of Renton to include since time immemorial to today and is committed to exploring that through its partnerships, exhibits and programs. SPRING QUARTERLY, 2024 | 5 called it “a misunderstanding between Supt. F. J. Hill [sic] and the miners.”5 The Seattle Electric Co. named 48-year-old Frank Albert Hill new superintendent of the Renton mine. Trained as a civil engineer, Hill had already had a long career in railroad construction with the Oregon Improvement Co. and Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad Co., before turning his attention to the mining field.6 “Capt.” Hill was integral to the company’s expansion plans, even hosting lavish dinners for the Renton City Council in 1902, just before they were to vote on Seattle Electric’s request for a 50-year franchise for an electric railway known as the Interurban.7 Held just a month after the miners’ strike, the discussion at the Council meeting was “lively” and attracted “a large crowd of spectators.”8 “At times they waxed hot,” as Renton City Attorney Sidney J. Williams defended the City’s interests against the company, but in the end City Council accepted the franchise without the promise of electric lights for Renton.9 Ultimately, the company got what it wanted, and “the council and the interested spectators adjourned to the saloon of Councilman [Harold] Evans, where they assisted Capt. Hill in celebrating the victory for his company.”10 Coal companies continued to consolidate during this period, while at the same time ruthlessly instituting cost- cutting to maintain profits. The Pacific Coast Co. purchased Black Diamond mine in 1904, adding it to their portfolio of Franklin, Newcastle, Coal Creek, and Lawson mines, and the Standard Oil Co. also had its eye on small local Washington mines.11 By early 1904 State Mine Inspector C. F. Owen Renton and Talbot mines produced coal as early as 1873, before a labor dispute closed the mines in 1885-1886. In 1895 the mine reopened, operated by Renton Co-Operative Coal Co., an innovative system in which miners were also owners. But it was a short-lived experiment—in late 1900 Seattle Electric Co. took over the Renton mine operations and by April 1901 the complex sale was complete. The company set in motion a plan to mine on a larger scale than ever before. Seattle Electric President Jacob Furth explained the sale: “It was always my purpose and view… to secure a supply of coal that would place our company above the capricious fluctuations of the coal market.”1 The company immediately began making changes in Renton. Their purchase of the coal mine changed production from a local collective enterprise—in which each investor purchased the right to take out a specified amount of coal per month—to a company-run enterprise whose goals had nothing to do with Renton itself. Seattle Electric’s purchase included “a number of franchises and Renton property,” but also the rights to miners’ labor, 90% of whom were reportedly married property-owners who had worked in the mines for 3 – 15 years.2 The first sign of trouble between Renton and Seattle Electric came as early as April 1902, when the company decided to reduce miners’ pay from 90 cents to 75 cents a carload, a 17% cut, without notice. Three hundred miners walked off the job. They met and nominated a team of representatives to meet with the company, thanks to which the strike lasted less than a week.3 But the miners’ collective action put the company on notice: “It is probable that the miners…will, if the new order works them a hardship, take the matter up with the officials of the company.”4 For their part, the company Continued from page 1 Renton Co-Operative Coal Co.’s inaugural photo, 1895. When the Renton mine was sold to Seattle Electric, independent miners struggled to cope with being employed by a Seattle company. (#1966.088.0519) Early Renton coal mine works, pre-1910. (#1976.014.0700) 6 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM reported that “coal output [was] climbing up,” with Seattle Electric’s Renton mine producing a respectable 134,743 tons in 1903. Statewide, the average miner’s wage was $1.25 per ton and the average value of the coal was $2.00 per ton.12 As employers grew larger, unions looked more attractive to miners; Ravensdale miners formed a branch of the United Mine Workers (UMW) union in autumn 1903, for example.13 In this context, Seattle Electric again decided to cut Renton coal miners’ wages by 15 to 20% in June 1904, and, anticipating pushback, almost immediately locked the miners out. The company had already twice tried to reduce wages since purchasing the mine, but when the men refused, the company did not make an issue of it; this time, Superintendent Hill was determined.14 Knowing that the company had enough coal to operate for some months, he posted a sign saying that the mine was closed “indefinitely,” leaving the miners to wonder about their jobs. “About 250 men, who formerly worked in the mine, are idling about the streets of Renton, talking over the situation,” reported the Seattle Star.15 “The town is largely dependent upon the mines for its business prosperity,” the Star reporter wrote. “And if the mines are closed it will have a serious effect on the future of the place.”16 An extraordinary set of internal company reports written by Superintendent Hill during this period provide insight into the company’s strategy. His April 1904 report indicates that he already had a plan: he had reduced the winter workforce, anticipating lower demand for coal in the summer. “I trust that by June first you will be in such a condition for coal that I can shut down to arrange better prices,” he told his bosses.17 Investments made in improvements exacerbated the pressure he felt to bring down costs. He believed the miners were anticipating lower wages, and “I trust that it can be arranged without difficulty.”18 In June he reassured the company that “no work will be done of any kind inside or outside of mine until conditions change with the men,” and that the shut- down was “the best move we could have made.”19 But if he thought he would break the union quickly, he was mistaken. By July 7 he assured the company that the UMW “want[ed] someone to help them let go.” He believed the miners would accept lower wages by July 15th. “Everything is peaceful and a good many men have left town,” he wrote, “some of whom I hope never appear for work at this camp.”20 Meanwhile, the state labor commissioner, William Blackman, met with Hill to try to help get the miners back to work. Blackman agreed to undertake an investigation of wage rates at other Coal miners pose in front of Talbot mine, ca. 1910. (#1966.092.0166) Formation of a United Mine Workers union was a momentous occasion. Much of Black Diamond came out for this photo on May 15, 1907, on the occasion of the establishment of Local #6481, District #10. (#1967.011.0692) SPRING QUARTERLY, 2024 | 7 mines, with Superintendent Hill maintaining that Seattle Electric would adjust their wage offer if Blackman’s investigation proved that Renton’s rates were unfairly low.21 By this time Issaquah miners were also on strike, and the UMW was pressing for a unified wage agreement across Washington mines, the first ever in the state.22 With greater pressure at the state level, Hill confessed that “I am now getting anxious to run coal under a fair rate for mining, in order to prove results” of his stewardship.23 When Issaquah Coal Co. tried to operate their mines with non-union workers, violence threatened to break out, and three special sheriff’s deputies were called in. There was no mention of violence at the Renton mine, which may have been due in part to the fact that women and children often came out to demonstrate in support of their male relatives. Much later Carrie Tamborini Greeley recalled: “Even the families went on the picket line…. The strike breakers (scabs) were brot [sic] in on the ‘Interurban,’ usually at night. So the logical place for picketing was at the Interurban stop at the adit to the Renton Coal Mine property.”24 In mid-August there was a brief flurry of hope when it looked as if the company would take back all the original miners. Mine officials, Commissioner Blackman, and miners organized a conference at which miners proposed that men be paid by the day rather than by the ton. The company posted a sign that the mine would be reopened the following Monday, but miners were determined that agreement be reached first, and no one showed up for work. Ending the strike was complicated by the fact that the Renton mine was an “open” mine, with union and non-union workers; the non-union men were reportedly more willing to get back to work under any terms.25 On September 8 Seattle Electric tried to restart mining with only non-union miners, without success.26 Seventy miners met the night before and voted to “stand together” on the proposal that Seattle Electric Co. pay all miners $2.75 a day, regardless of the tons produced.27 Superintendent Hill reported on the results in his September 14 summary: “For the first time since June 25th, the whistle blew for work on the 8th, and the invitation was out for men to come to work. The record shows that few miners responded…. A good many men have tried to get here, but the strikers’ pickets have met them and turned them back with a few exceptions.”28 Hill was in the process of getting sheriff’s deputies to “conserve the peace”; if he could get enforcement, he was confident that “we will fill up with miners.”29 Miners told another story: all they had to do was inform non-union miners of pay and working conditions and they left of their own accord.30 Throughout September and October, the parties attempted various kinds of negotiations to bring the months-long strike to a close. With winter approaching and the company’s coal surplus dwindling, the pressure was on. A committee of Renton businessmen tried to intercede, but the miners blocked their request for a public meeting, one probably aimed at pressuring them to give in.31 John Mitchell, national president of the United Mine Workers of America, stopped in the Seattle area on his way to the annual meeting of the American Federation of Labor in San Francisco, along with several other UMW officials. His brother David Mitchell had been a Renton miner since about 1895 as a member of Renton Co- Operative Coal Co., and he enlisted John’s assistance in trying to settle the strikes at Renton and Issaquah.32 “Mr. [F. D.] Grant of the Seattle Electric company is trying to give us the double cross,” insisted John Hutchinson, president of UMW’s northwest district. The company told the union that if miners went back to work at 90 cents a car—Seattle Electric’s original reduction—they would Sam Nicholls, president of District #10, UMW, standing in front of union headquarters in Renton, ca. 1931. Nicholls remained head of District #10 until he stepped down to become president of the Renton local #6380. (#41.0269) When Seattle Electric began organizing for non-union miners in October 1904, miners knew their jobs might not be waiting for them after the strike was over. (Ad, Seattle Times, 23 October 1904.) 8 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM guarantee that each man would earn at least $2.87 a day. But Hutchinson believed that “if we did not succeed in making these wages he would simply tell us we were no good” as miners. What the company really wanted, he insisted, was to break the union that represented 3/5 of Washington miners.33 The union proposed 97 ½ cents to $1.05 a car, depending on working conditions.34 By October the situation for miners was becoming dire. Despite the UMW stipend of $4.00 a week, miners and their families had to go into the fields to earn extra cash picking hops. Meanwhile, Seattle Electric began advertising for nonunion miners and building onsite dormitories for them; by the end of October about 70 “imported” men were mining there.35 Worst of all, miners began leaving town in search of other work, eroding the strength of the strikers—one hundred had left and 150 were stuck, as Renton home-owners.36 Hutchinson summed up the situation: “[Seattle Electric] need[s] the coal, and because they seem unwilling to compromise, we are forced to the belief that they think more about the disruption of our union than they do about the wage question.”37 At a late October meeting, the men voted “practically unanimously” to return to work. Strikers went back to the mine on November 1, conceding the wage question and giving up recognition of the union; the only change they won was the right to designate a grievance committee to bring concerns to the company.38 Hill was inclined to take a hard line with the union men, as John Hutchinson thought. His October report noted that “I think it will be necessary to drop about a dozen men who own their homes at this place. If a fund could be created to buy their houses and sell them again, I believe it would be a good thing for the camp, as it would permanently rid the community of trouble breeders.” A hand- written note added by a higher-up comments: “not necessary, situation will take care of itself.”39 Seattle Electric won in 1904, but that was not the end of Renton miners’ fight for their rights. In strikes in ENDNOTES 1 “The Renton Mines Sold,” Seattle Times, 6 April 1901, p.8. 2 “The Renton Mines Sold,” Seattle Times, 6 April 1901, p.8; “Suburban News,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 30 August 1904. 3 “Renton Miners Strike,” Seattle Star, 3 April 1902; “Coal Miners Quit Work,” Seattle Times, 3 April 1902, p.4; “Miners Go to Work,” Seattle Star, 4 April 1902; “Renton Strike Is About Over,” Seattle Star, 5 April 1902. 4 “Coal Miners Quit Work,” Seattle Times, 3 April 1902, p.4. 5 “Renton Strike Is About Over,” Seattle Star, 5 April 1902. 6 “Frank Albert Hill,” Who’s Who on the Pacific Coast (Los Angeles: Harper Publishing, 1913), 270. 7 “Grants Franchise,” Seattle Times, 1 May 1902, p.8. Although is repeatedly given the title “Capt.” In newspaper articles, there is no evidence he ever served. 8 “Grants Franchise,” Seattle Times, 1 May 1902, p.8. 9 “Grants Franchise,” Seattle Times, 1 May 1902, p.8. 10 “Grants Franchise,” Seattle Times, 1 May 1902, p.8. 11 “Mine Owners to Fight for Trade,” Seattle Times, 19 September 1904, p.1. 12 “Coal Output Climbing Up,” Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), 5 Feb 1904. 13 Greg Lange, “Ravensdale miners form a branch of the United Mine Workers of America in November 1903,” Essay #1074, HistoryLink, accessed at https://www.historylink.org/File/1074, 28 February 2024. 14 “Renton Mine Closed,” Tacoma Daily News, 1 July 1904, p.1; “Renton Coal Miners Ask Only Fair Play,” Seattle Star, 1 July 1904, p.3. 15 “Renton Coal Miners Ask Only Fair Play,” Seattle Star, 1 July 1904, p.3. Estimates varied on the number of men who regularly worked at the Renton mine in 1904, from 225 to 300. 16 “Renton Coal Miners Ask Only Fair Play,” Seattle Star, 1 July 1904, p.3. 17 F. A. Hill, “Weekly Report, Renton Mine, April 1904,” Collection of the Renton History Museum. 18 F. A. Hill, “Weekly Report, Renton Mine, April 1904,” Collection of the Renton History Museum. “The Renton coal mine strike has been amicably settled,” announced this November 1904 advertisement. The average Washington coal miner earned $1.25 a ton for mining six days a week. (Ad, Tacoma Daily Advertiser, 7 November 1904.) 1910 and again in an 18-month strike from 1912 to 1914, Renton miners pressed for recognition of the UMW by the company. These strikes involved accusations of violence against strikebreakers and against strikers and their wives and the intervention of sheriff’s deputies.40 WWI put a temporary federal stop to labor actions, but by 1920 the company had decided to close the Renton mine.41 It would be periodically sold and re-opened after that, but was never again operated on a scale that gave miners hope of organizing. SPRING QUARTERLY, 2024 | 9 “Renton’s Lady Voters” teaches about the fight for suffrage and the first women to vote in Renton. “Felt, Feathers, and Fancy” discusses the careers of the many early Renton women who made and sold hats for a living, and how changing times and trends affected their profession. If you’re researching women’s history, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We may have resources to share via email, or you can make an appointment to use our Research Room. Just email rentonhistorymuseum@rentonwa.gov to get in touch. 19 F. A. Hill, “Weekly Report, Renton Mine, June 1904,” Collection of the Renton History Museum. 20 F. A. Hill, “Weekly Report, Renton Mine, July 7, 1904,” Collection of the Renton History Museum. 21 “Trying to Settle Coal Mine Strike,” Tacoma Times, 28 July 1904. 22 “To Submit New Wage Scale,” Tacoma Daily Ledger, 6 August 1904. 23 F. A. Hill, “Weekly Report, Renton Mine, Aug. 15, 1904,” Collection of the Renton History Museum. 24 Carrie Tamborini Greeley, “Rambling Down Memory Lane—Days of Long Ago,” Renton Historical Quarterly Newsletter (February 1977), p.3. Carrie’s father, Constante Tamborini, arrived in Renton in 1906 as a coal miner; she recalled the 1910 strike, but women and children picketing was a longstanding tradition; see also “Striker’s Wife Knocked Down, Miners Charge,” Seattle Star, 8 May 1913, p.1. A Renton miner interviewed by the Seattle P-I underlined the workers’ intention: “We are a peaceable lot of men and do not intend to use violence to keep the nonunion men from the mines.” “Suburban News,” Seattle P-I, 30 August 1904. 25 “Company Anxious to Reopen Mines,” Tacoma Daily Ledger, 13 August 1904; “News of the State Briefly Told,” 13 August 1904. Also, in mid- August the Northern Pacific Railway, Northwest Improvement Co., and miners at Roslyn, Malmont, Cle Elum, and Ravensdale reached agreement on a wage scale for the next twelve months of their operations. 26 “With Nonunionists,” Montana Daily Record (Helena, Montana), 8 September 1904; “Coal Mine is to Open with Non-Union Labor,” Anaconda Standard (Anaconda, Montana), 8 September 1904. 27 “Non-Union Men in Renton Mines,” Tacoma Times, 8 September 1904, p.1. 28 F. A. Hill, “Weekly Report, Renton Mine, Sept. 14, 1904,” Collection of the Renton History Museum. 29 F. A. Hill, “Weekly Report, Renton Mine, Sept. 14, 1904,” Collection of the Renton History Museum. 30 “Suburban News,” Seattle P-I, 30 August 1904. 31 “News of the State Briefly Told,” Tacoma Daily News, 23 September 1904; “No New Terms of Peace,” Seattle Times, 12 September 1904, p.5.. 32 “Big Leader Coming,” Seattle Star, 29 September 1904; “John Mitchell Coming,” Aberdeen Herald (Aberdeen, WA), 3 Oct 1904. 33 “Big Leader Coming,” Seattle Star, 29 September 1904. The average wage for miners in King County in September 1904 was $3.05 a day. “But Few At Work in Mine,” Seattle Times, 18 September 1904, p.8; “Strike Situation Unchanged,” Seattle Times, 10 September 1904, p.7. 34 “But Few At Work in Mine,” Seattle Times, 18 September 1904, p.8. 35 “Strike Situation Unchanged,” Seattle Times, 10 September 1904, p.7; “But Few At in Work in Mine,” Seattle Times, 18 September 1904, p.8; “Eastern Men at Renton,” Seattle Times, 20 September 1904, p.9; Advertisements, Seattle Times, 13 October 1904, 16 October 1904, 23 October 1904; “Renton Strike is Ended,” Seattle Times, 2 November 1904, p.2. 36 “Strike Situation Unchanged,” Seattle Times, 10 September 1904, p.7. 37 “Strike Situation Unchanged,” Seattle Times, 10 September 1904, p.7. 38 “Renton Strike is Ended,” Seattle Times, 2 November 1904, p.2; F. A. Hill, “Monthly Report, Renton Mine, October 1904,” Collection of the Renton History Museum. 39 F. A. Hill, “Monthly Report, Renton Mine, October 1904,” Collection of the Renton History Museum. 40 “Injunction Against Renton Rioters Made Permanent by Court,” Seattle Times, 14 September 1912, p.4; “Striker’s Wife Knocked Down, Miners Charge,” Seattle Star, 8 May 1913; “Renton Mine Strikers Reject Peace Terms,” Seattle Times, 6 December 1913, p.2; C. D. Stratton, “Defeat for Miners Ends Renton Strike,” Seattle Times, 10 January 1914, p.1. 41 “Mine Closed for Good,” Leavenworth Echo (Leavenworth, WA), 21 May 1920, p.5. March is Women’s History Month! While we take time to remember nationally renowned figures in history such as Susan B. Anthony and Rosa Parks, let’s not forget the women who made history in Renton! We have many women to be proud of, like our first woman Councilmember, Hattie Butler; and Irene Grayson, one of the Hilltop’s most inspiring community leaders. If you’re looking for a way to learn more about women’s history in Renton, why not check out some of our online resources? Our online exhibit, What Difference Do Renton Women Make? can be found on our website, rentonhistory. org, by clicking the “Exhibits” tab on the left, then clicking on “Online Exhibits.” Biographies feature women in education, politics, and flight here. If you’d like to read even more, our “Women of Accomplishment in Washington” Pinterest board will be featured on our website’s front page throughout March. We’ve used it to collect links to articles covering everything from the women’s suffrage movement in Washington to second-wave feminist figures in local politics and the arts. For the teachers and home educators out there, we’ve also got resources for middle and high school classrooms on our website’s Curricula page. Just click “Curricula” on the left bar and scroll down to find activity and resource guides relating to women’s history. “Can I Play Too?” covers the history of women in sports, while CELEBRATING RENTON WOMEN’S HISTORY 10 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM MEMORIAL DONATIONS November 29, 2023 – February 16, 2024 MEMORIALS OF $100 OR MORE Pearl Jacobson Denis Law John Nissen and Pat & Herb Nissen Marsha Nissen MEMORIALS Terri Briere Steve Anderson Beverly (Clymer) Sitzes Ron & Sharon Clymer Bob & Olive Corey Janet Henkle Cleo Forgaard Wayne R. Matta Fred Forsberg Ron & Sharon Clymer Bill Gregory Ron & Sharon Clymer Ron Nelson Ron & Sharon Clymer Pearl Jacobson Donovan Lynch Elizabeth P. Stewart Daisy Ward MATCHING GIFT CONTRIBUTION The Boeing Co. for Kristina Desmond CONTRIBUTIONS OF $1,000 OR MORE Nancy Fairman CONTRIBUTIONS OF $500 OR MORE Rich Wagner CONTRIBUTIONS OF $200 OR MORE Mike Intlekofer Janice Tanner CONTRIBUTIONS OF $100 OR MORE Karen Boswell Deloris Dewing Dorothy Finley Ila Hemm Charles & Karen Jones Ralph & Peggy Owen Sandra Polley Mary Riley Service Linen Supply William R. Monaghan Marilyn Monaghan Ragle COMMEMORATIVE DONATIONS In Honor of the Class of ‘58 Mike Dire BENEFACTOR MEMBERS Phyllis Davey Pete and Hannelore Maas CONTRIBUTIONS Diana Bartley Harry Blencoe (Happy 100th Birthday!) Glenn & Janet Bressan Charles & Jeanette Delaurenti Barbara Dengel Diana Durman Eric Eckstein Karen Emmons Karl Hurst Joyce Jones Donovan Lynch Melrose Grill R. Kirk Mathewson Tom & Linda Morris Becky Nickels John & Joyce Peterson Marsh & Fran Remillard Laureen Ross Basil Simpson Nancy Simpson Jenny & Greg Swanson Sally Steiner David Wakukawa Marjorie Wickham IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS Bruce Eldredge Consulting McCorkle & Associates Pritchard Design SPRING QUARTERLY, 2024 | 11 FUN WITH MAPS I n 1926 it was still fairly unusual for women to be listed as owners of real estate, but the area that would later be known as the Renton Highlands included several women land-owners on this map. “E. Buckner” near Greenwood Cemetery was Evalena Buckner, a 65-year- old African-American transplant from Kentucky who was widowed and living with her mother, Amanda Bird. Buckner was one of the earliest Black residents of the area. Further east on the Renton-Issaquah Rd. were the properties of Ida Marr, who had purchased 80 acres for farming in 1907 with her husband William Marr. Other women land-owners on this map were Julia Underwood, Seattle realtor and real estate investor; Jennie Sartori, wife of cattle baron Ignazio Sartori; Anna Peterson; and Olive Mitchell. RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM 235 Mill Ave. S Renton, WA 98057 Do you remember the Renton Loop? Do you have objects or photos relating to the Loop? See the news about our new initiative on p.2. (#1986.006.1685)