Today is the 91st anniversary of the Ludlow Massacre (Wikipedia, PBS), which occurred at a coal mine in Ludlow, Colorado on 20th April 1914. At least 20 people, mostly wives and children of striking coalminers, were murdered by agents of the Baldwin Felts Detective Agency employing an armored car with a machine gun (a highly exotic piece of equipment for the day). However, it appears most of the fatalities were inflicted by incinerating the women and children alive with kerosene.

The strike began 17 September 1913 against Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF&I), a company owned by John D Rockefeller. Since all housing available in the company town was owned by the Rockefellers, the strikers were evicted and set up camp in public land. From the first, CF&I Pres. Bowers proposed to usearmed gangs¹; soon after, a mediator for the firm negotiated a truce between militia for the strikers and the company, and the strikers agreed to disarm. Bowers then brought in the detectives with the machine guns, massacred the miners and torched their camp, then hired Ivy Lee to spin the episode favorably for Rockefeller. Rockefeller also retained the services of Canadian parliamentarian William Lyon Mackenzie King to set up an "Institute of Industrial Relations" that would provide "an objective and scientific investigation of industrial disputes." Mackenzie King later served as Prime Minister of Canada for 22 years, including the War years.

Additional details about the Ludlow Massacre may be found at Red Letter Days; "[John D.] Rockefeller [Jr] Testifies on Ludlow"; contemporary photos and demographic information about the vicinity of Ludlow (Prof. Eric Margolis, ASU).