Presented by: Daniel O’Donnel Labor Educator, Washington State Labor Education and Research Center

On Armistice Day, November 11, 1919 an armed conflict ignited in Centralia, Washington. Tensions had been building for some time between the local American Legion and the Industrial Workers of the World, better known as the Wobblies. Many facts of the incident remain bitterly contested, but a few facts are not in dispute. By the morning of November 12^th, six men were dead: four American Legionnaires, one deputy sheriff, and one labor union organizer—who had been lynched and hung from a bridge.

Who started the violence, who was guilty or innocent, who were the perpetrators and who were the victims was a subject of intense disagreement in 1919 and it remains a contested history to this day.

About the Speaker:

Daniel O’Donnell is an instructor at the Washington Labor Education and Research Center, based at South Seattle College. Grandson of both lumber mill worker and a banker, he is a former union organizer and representative. Prior to his work for labor unions, he studied labor history at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

These monthly, free events are open to everyone interested in Oregon and Pacific Northwest history. Co-sponsored by like-minded historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers and historians who expound on topics from Lewis and Clark to shipwrecks, hop growing to women pioneers and far, far beyond. It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp