Haywood, Big Bill, 1869-1928.

Industrial Workers of the World Records

drice — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:44:51 -0400

The Industrial Workers of the World was founded in 1905 and is a member-run union for all workers. The IWW organizes all workers producing the same goods or services into one union instead of pooling them by skill or trade. Numbered among its members (known popularly as Wobblies) are lumberjacks, miners, farmhands (especially migrant workers), sailors, and workers in textile mills. Since their founding, the IWW has made significant contributions to labor struggles around the world. The union is proud of its long-standing tradition of fierce defense of the first amendment and breaking down barriers of race, ethnicity, and gender. Since it's founding in Chicago, the IWW has moved its headquarters around the country.

Part 1 includes minutes and proceedings, trial records and evidence, newspapers, pamphlets, poems, cartoons, songs, and correspondence. Subjects of interest include the Centralia Conspiracy; criminal syndicalism; the Everett Massacre; Free Speech fights; organization of farm workers; labor conditions; the controversy between craft and industrial unionism; government raids and seizures; trials of various members; foreign IWW administrations; political prisoners; GEB 1960's-1970's; conventions 1970's; Junior Wobblies; Houston Branch; and information on such figures as Vincent St. John. Correspondents include T.J. Bogard, Arthur Boose, Richard Brazier, Frank Cederval, A.S. Embree, William D. Haywood, Claude Irwin, Joyce Kornbluh, John A. Law, George Lucas, Albert Prashner, Rudolf Rocker, Vincent St. John, Nicolaas Steelink, Fred W. Thompson, William Unger, Walt Westman, and Claire Whitaker.

Part 2 of the Industrial Workers of the World Collection contains General Executive Board correspondence from the 1960s and 1970s and minutes, newsletters and correspondence from several branch locations and foreign administrations covering the same time period. Also included are Constitutional General Convention minutes from the 1970s, membership dues booklets, songs, cartoons, poetry, articles, legal case files, and a large assortment of English and foreign-language pamphlets and leaflets. Of particular interest are the reports of undercover private detectives posing as IWW members who investigated IWW organizing among Arizona miners in 1923.

Part 3 include mainly correspondence, reports, and photographs that document the union’s activities and goals primarily during the time they were headquartered in Ypsilanti. Since the organization is global, some reports come from places as far as Sweden and Germany. Of particular note are copies of Junior Wobblies cards dating from the 1930s.

Content of Box 158, Folder "Cigar Makers Meeting" is unavailable.

Matilda Robbins Papers

drice — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:12:38 -0500

Manuscripts (articles and stories), clippings, correspondence, personal papers, and photographs collected by Mrs. Robbins, who was a labor organizer and writer for the IWW from 1912 until her death in 1963. Subjects include the Paterson N.J. Silk Strike.

Joe Hill, the Man Who Never Died

Public Relations Team — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:10:12 -0400

In the Winter 2013 semester, the Reuther Library worked with students in the Graduate Certificate in Archival Administration program at the Wayne State School of Library and Information Science to produce a series of student-written, guest blog posts.

Robert Kett is a second-year SLIS student and amateur musicologist with a genuine interest in labor history and especially labor songs.

A pamphlet, no matter how good, is never read more than once, but a song is learned by heart and repeated over and over.
-Joseph Hillstrom, 1879-1915 read more »

The Lawrence Textile Strike

eclemens — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:18:57 -0500

January 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of a watershed moment in American labor history: the Lawrence Textile Strike. Commonly referred to as the "Bread and Roses Strike," workers fought to not only earn enough to feed their families, but to also be afforded basic human dignity. For this reason, many consider the event’s significance as a social revolution to be equally as important as its impact on working conditions. read more »

(268) Paterson Silk Strike, IWW Leadership, 1913

eclemens — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:02:15 -0500

I.W.W. leaders pause for a portrait during the Paterson Silk Strike, Paterson, New Jersey, 1913.

Left to right: Pat Quinlan, Carlo Tresca, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Adolph Lessig and Big Bill Haywood.

(394) William "Big Bill" Haywood, Portrait, 1910s

eclemens — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 15:21:40 -0400

Portrait of William "Big Bill" Haywood, IWW Organizer.

(4869) William "Big Bill" Haywood, Trial, Defense, Idaho, 1907

eclemens — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 15:47:51 -0400

A view of the defense team for William “Big Bill” Haywood’s murder trial. Haywood was tried on murder charges for the assassination of former Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg. Second from left is attorney Clarence Darrow.

(4837) Strikes, Heywood Brothers, Wakefield, Mass.

eclemens — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:21:27 -0400

A scene from the Heywood Brothers and Wakefield Company Strike in Wakefield, Mass. where violence broke out after over 1,000 workers and their supporters blocked the mill gates.

(4838) Strikes, Violence, Heywood Brothers, Wakefield, Mass.

eclemens — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:21:27 -0400

A scene from the Heywood Brothers and Wakefield Company Strike in Wakefield, Mass. where violence broke out after over 1,000 workers and their supporters blocked the mill gates.

(4839) Haywood Cabin, Location Unknown, 1900s

eclemens — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:21:27 -0400

A snapshot of the "Haywood Cabin, " possibly Bill Haywood's family residence in Silver City, Idaho.

(4840) William "Big Bill" Haywood, Portrait, 1900s-1910s

eclemens — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:21:27 -0400

Portrait of William “Big Bill” Haywood.

(4841) Haywood Fmaily, Group Portrait, 1900s-1910s

eclemens — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:21:27 -0400

A group portrait of the William “Big Bill” Haywood’s family.

(4842) Haywood, Moyer, Pettibone, Trail, Boise, Idaho, 1907

eclemens — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:21:27 -0400

William “Big Bill” Haywood, Charles Moyer and George Pettibone pose for a photograph outside of the Boise, Idaho Sheriff's office as they await their trial for murder of ex-governor Frank Steunenberg.

(4843) Haywood, Moyer, Pittibone, Trial, Boise, Idaho, 1907

eclemens — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:21:27 -0400

(4844) William "Big Bill" Haywood, California, 1908

eclemens — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:21:27 -0400

William Haywood, Olaf Tniemoe and and two unidentified men pause to take a photograph amongst the Redwoods of Calaveras, California. At the time of the photograph, Haywood was in the midst of a national speaking tour. Tniemoe, the editor of San Francisco Labor brought him out to the forest so that he could see the fabled trees.

(4845) Trade Dollar Mine, Miners, Idaho, 1900

eclemens — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:21:27 -0400

Day and Night shifts assemble at Blaine tunnel of the Trade Dollar Mine for a group photograph.

Front row, left to right: Barney Francisco, Herb Holloway, Owen Reel, Joe and Helen Hutchinson, William Haywwod, Jim Cox, Walter Thomas, Dave O’Neal.

Back row: Bill Pooley, Jacob Bachman, Alex Beason, Ed Vanson, Charley Rodgers, Bill Stephenson, Bart Russell, Dave Porter, Charley Miller, Alex McDOnald, Fred Ulmer, Bill Lakey, Frank Hall, John Raagle, Eddie Phillips, Fred Johnson, Charley Camaish, Branch Smith, Jim Law, Lyle Eisenhart, Bob Haisplip, Jack Lawyer, Jay Ballinger, Dave Brumbaugh (Shift boss), Joe Corda, William Barrow, Bill WIlliams, Oscar Johnson, Lish Lewis, Billies Chrisman, Fred Davis, Ed Allen, Matt McLain (shift boss), John McGough, Jim Trythal, Harry Palmer.

(4846) Halls and Offices, Haywood, Chicago, 1917