Lowell Labor History Walk

From tour guide Bob Forrant: Lowell Labor History Walk for the Lowell National Historical Park on Saturday, October 21@1:00pm. Leaving from the National Park Visitor’s Center we will take a walk back in time to explore Lowell’s labor history. Highlights include a discussion of Lowell women workers and their fights for the ten-hour day and suffrage and against slavery.  A walk down Middle Street, the street where so many of the city’s trade unions had their offices. point out where so many Lowell unions had their offices and meetings.  According to the Lowell City Directory, in 1890 there were 20 different union locals in the city, in 1900 there were 25, and in 1925 nearly 70! The majority of locals in the city had their offices and their monthly meetings in buildings along Middle Street. Out onto Merrimack Street we’ll discuss the 1912 mill strike in Lowell and the role of the Industrial Workers of the World in that strike. Lowell’s IWW headquarters was in Matthew Hall at the corner of Central and Market Streets. Daily strike marches of as much as two hours in duration, down Market St to Bridge St, over the river and along Lakeview Ave to Aiken and were common. Finally, we’ll consider the 1930s shoe strike and the pitched battles between strikers and strike breakers at the corner of Bridge and Merrimack St.