Wisconsin Historical Society

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Article

Woodworkers strike turns violent in Oshkosh, 1898

Troops called to Oshkosh

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About this record

In the 1890s, Oshkosh had become the center of the door and sash industry in the world. In the summer of 1898, 1500 woodworkers formed a union and launched a strike that lasted for 14 weeks. The strike turned violent and deadly when the workers attacked the Morgan Mill and McMillan factory, as this article recounts. Many women participated in the strike as well, throwing eggs and bags of pepper at the deputies called to quell the disturbance.

Citation

"Troops called to Oshkosh." Milwaukee Sentinel (24 June 1898);