Mordecai Brown by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Mordecai Brown

Page 174

union representation. The population was 66,083 when Brown moved there around 1929 and fell off to 62,693 by 1940; no picnic but also not the disaster felt in some other places.

The Columbian Enameling and Stamping Company's relocation and subsequent push against the union highlighted the tensions between management and labor. The general strike of 1935, involving approximately 450 union members, was a significant event that paralyzed the city's economy and led to the intervention of the national guard. The strike's effect was immediate, with transportation, telephones, and food prices rising due to the lack of workers. Despite negative media reactions, the Department of Labor intervened, and the strike was eventually called off.

The economic background of Terre Haute during the Great Depression was shaped by the city's location and the local coal industry, which provided a solid economic foundation. However, the decline of natural gas supplies and the shift of industries to coal led to a decline in the city's industrial base. The postwar period saw a series of industrial and social upheavals, further weakening the city's economic foundations.

The general strike of 1935 was a testament to the resilience of labor unions and the workers' desire for better working