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Centralia Massacre

From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.

The Centralia Massacre, an infamous incident of labor unrest in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, occurred on November 11, 1919 in Centralia, Washington. The incident, erupted during a celebration marking the first anniversary of Armistice Day, and resulted in a gunfight between local members of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World, also called the "Wobblies") and the American Legion. The clash resulted in the shooting deaths of four Legionaires by wobblies, after which vigilantes lynched Wesley Everest. The incident remains controversial to the present day, over conflicting accounts of the action and responsibility for the violence.

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History

The incident was the culmination of several years of labor strife in Western Washington. The IWW tried during the previous decade to establish a presence in the area, and met with resistance on several occasions, in particular keeping a Labor Hall in Centralia. The first Labor Hall closed after the building's owner discovered he was renting to Wobblies, and the second was destroyed by vigilantes during a parade in 1917 to support the Red Cross. The commemoration of Armistice Day in 1919 was observed locally by a parade that passed directly in front of the third Labor Hall on N. Tower Ave. Fearing violence from the marchers, who were largely anti-Labor veterans, the Wobblies armed themselves and stationed men inside the hall and on the rooftops and in the windows of the surrounding buildings.

When the parade passed in front of the Labor Hall, Legionnaire marchers forced the doors to the building. Gunfire broke out, the origin of which has long been disputed. In the ensuing battle, two Legionaires were killed and several were wounded. A number of Wobblies were immediately captured and held in the city jail, along with local lawyer, Elmer Smith, who previously provided counsel to the Wobblies, and was known locally for his opposition to U.S. involvement in World War I. Legionaires apprehended Wesley Everest near the Skookumchuck River, but not before killing two of his pursuers. Later that night vigilantes shut down the city's electricity and a mob invaded the jail, took Everest to a local bridge crossing the Chehalis River and lynched him. While no vigilantes were arrested, the captured Wobblies faced charges. The resulting trial was held in nearby Montesano. Several Wobblies were convicted of second degree murder and sent to prison. Ultimately all were released after a public campaign spearheaded by Elmer Smith, the Centralia attorney who had initially been jailed with the Wobblies.

A bronze statue of a doughboy, erected to honor the four Legionnaires killed in the Massacre, still stands in Centralia's George Washington Park. In 1999 the owner of the nearby former Elks building commissioned a mural to memorialize Wesley Everest and the Wobblies.

Literature on the subject of the massacre includes Wobbly Wars, the Centralia Story by John McCleland, as well as The Centralia Tragedy of 1919: Elmer Smith and the Wobblies.

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