How Colorado miners built a fortress called the “Kingdom of Bull Hill” in 1894

Governor Waite’s Troops Defended Striking Miners at Bull Hill

Cripple Creek saw the most odd labor fight in U. S. history back in 1894. Mine bosses tried to hike work hours from eight to ten with no extra pay, so miners walked off the job. Soon after, mine owners paid for a small army of 1,200 men to crush the strike.

The miners, led by West Point grad Junius Johnson, built a fort on Bull Hill and got ready to fight. Then came the twist.

Populist Governor Davis Waite sent state troops not to break the strike but to stop the mine owners’ army. His troops took over Bull Hill and kept the peace.

The strike worked, and miners got their eight-hour day back. The Cripple Creek Historic District still tells this wild tale today.

Big Mine Bosses Tried Squeezing More Hours From Workers

In January 1894, mine owners J. J. Hagerman, David Moffat, and Eben Smith told Cripple Creek miners they now had to work ten hours daily instead of eight, with no pay increase from their $3 daily wage.

As another option, miners could keep eight-hour shifts but take a pay cut to $2.50 per day.

These three bosses controlled about one-third of all mining jobs in the gold district.

They picked this time because the Panic of 1893 had crashed silver prices while gold stayed strong, flooding Colorado mining towns with job seekers.

Miners Hit Back With A February Strike

Union president John Calderwood quickly fought back against the owners’ demands. On February 1, 1894, he put out a notice insisting on keeping the eight-hour day with full $3 pay.

When mine owners ignored the union, miners walked off the job on February 7.

The strike worked fast as smaller mines like Portland, Pikes Peak, and Gold Dollar agreed to the eight-hour terms and stayed open.

By month’s end, the strike spread across Colorado, with every smelter in the state either shut down or barely running.

Smaller Mines Caved While Big Operators Dug In

By early March, Gold King and Granite mines gave in to union demands and went back to the eight-hour workday. But the biggest mine operators refused to budge, wanting to break the union’s power.

They got a court order on March 14 telling strikers not to mess with mine operations. Getting more desperate, the big mine owners started hiring replacement workers to reopen their mines.

Both sides got ready for a longer fight, with neither willing to back down on work hours and pay.

Gunfire Sparked The First Call For Troops

Things got violent on March 16 when armed miners captured six sheriff’s deputies and someone shot one deputy. Sheriff M.F. Bowers quickly asked Governor Davis Waite to send in state militia to restore order.

The governor sent 300 troops led by Adjutant General T. J. Tarsney to Cripple Creek on March 18. After arriving, Tarsney saw the situation was tense but manageable.

The union worked with authorities, which convinced Tarsney to suggest pulling out the troops rather than bringing more military to the mining district.

A Military Man Turned The Strike Into A Fortress

Union president Calderwood left Cripple Creek to visit other Western Federation of Miners locals and raise strike money. He put Junius J. Johnson, a former West Point cadet who got kicked out for hazing, in charge of strike operations. Johnson quickly used his military training.

He took the high ground above Altman town, setting up a fort camp on Bull Hill that locals started calling the “Kingdom of Bull Hill. ” Under Johnson, miners built defenses, stored food, and practiced military drills.

They even planted dynamite along roads leading to their position.

Sheriff Assembled A Massive Private Army

Mine owners met secretly with Sheriff Bowers on May 26 in Colorado City. They made a deal to pay for a huge force of deputies to crush the strike for good.

With this private money, Bowers quickly hired 1,200 men from across Colorado and housed them at a camp in Divide, just 12 miles from Cripple Creek.

The sheriff officially made this 1,300-man hired force his deputies, getting them ready to attack the miners’ stronghold on Bull Hill.

This private army became one of the largest anti-worker forces ever put together in American history.

The Governor Stood With Workers Instead Of Owners

Governor Waite shocked everyone on May 27 with something no American governor had done before.

While he told miners to break up their Bull Hill camp, he also called the sheriff’s huge deputy force illegal and ordered it disbanded right away.

No governor had ever taken the side of striking workers against mine owners. Waite put state militia units on standby for possible trip to Cripple Creek.

The next day, he visited the miners in person, and they let him negotiate for them with the mine owners, showing they trusted this unusual ally.

Deputies Attacked Towns And Cut Communication Lines

The sheriff’s deputies made their move on June 5, marching into Altman as their first step toward attacking Bull Hill.

They cut telegraph and telephone wires to stop news from spreading and locked up reporters to control information about what they were doing.

As fighting got worse, Governor Waite sent state militia forces under General E. J. Brooks to restore order.

When state troops arrived on June 6, they found deputies already shooting at miners dug in on Bull Hill.

State Militia Protected Strikers From Deputies

General Brooks moved his troops from the train station to spots at the foot of Bull Hill.

When deputies tried to charge up the hill to attack the miners, workers at the Victor mine blew a warning whistle that alerted Brooks to the danger.

State militia soldiers quickly stopped the deputies and blocked them from reaching the miners’ position. Brooks then ordered his men to take over Bull Hill itself.

In a show of trust, the miners let the state forces take control of their fort without a fight.

Angry Deputies Terrorized Innocent Townspeople

Frustrated by the militia stopping them, deputies turned their anger on Cripple Creek itself. They swept through town, grabbing hundreds of citizens without reason or warrants.

Deputies pulled many townspeople from their homes or grabbed them off streets, then beat, kicked, and clubbed them.

Some deputies formed a line, forcing townspeople to walk between rows of men who spit on, slapped, and kicked them as they passed.

General Brooks responded by arresting deputies, and by nightfall his troops controlled the town and rounded up all of Sheriff Bowers’ men.

Miners Won Their Fight But Violence Continued

The June 11 Waite Agreement ended the strike with a clear victory for the miners. The settlement restored the $3 daily wage for an eight-hour workday.

Mine owners promised not to punish strikers for their participation, while miners agreed not to harass non-union workers. But some Colorado Springs businessmen weren’t ready to forgive.

On June 22, they kidnapped Adjutant General Tarsney from the Alamo Hotel, then tarred and feathered him in revenge for his role supporting the strikers.

Despite this ugly aftermath, the Western Federation of Miners emerged stronger, organizing 54 local unions across the region that soon included waitresses, bartenders, and even newsboys.

Visiting Cripple Creek Historic District, Colorado

The Cripple Creek Historic District at 9283 South Highway 67 has free admission and tells the story of the 1894 miners’ strike when Governor Davis Waite backed workers fighting for eight-hour days.

The 11,600-square-foot facility has interactive exhibits and a 30-minute film about the gold rush. You can see a model railroad showing Cripple Creek during the strike and enjoy views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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