Centralia Massacre (Washington)

Centralia massacre

The burial of Wesley Everest, with an armed National Guard unit.
Date	Armistice Day, November 11, 1919
Location	Centralia, Washington
Also known as	Armistice Day riot
Deaths	Six

The Centralia massacre, also known as the Armistice Day riot, was a violent and bloody incident that occurred in Centralia, Washington, on November 11, 1919, during a parade celebrating the first anniversary of Armistice Day. This conflict between the American Legion and workers who were members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or "Wobblies") resulted in six deaths, additional wounded, multiple prison terms, and an ongoing and especially bitter dispute over the motivations and events that precipitated the massacre. It was the culmination of years of bad blood between members of the local Legion and members of the IWW. Both Centralia and the neighboring town of Chehalis had a large number of World War I veterans, with robust chapters of the Legion, as well as a large number of IWW members, some also war veterans.

The ramifications of this event included a trial that attracted national media attention, notoriety that contributed to the Red Scare of 1919–20, the creation of a powerful martyr for the IWW, a monument to one side of the battle and a mural for the other and a formal tribute to the fallen Legionnaires by President Warren G. Harding.

Local Wobblies were active in the union from at least 1914. Although open conflict was avoided, low-level harassment simmered on both sides. IWW efforts to open a hall for local members were met by opponents of the IWW who lived in Centralia. In 1917, the Wobblies tried to open a hall using an alias on the lease agreement. However, the landlord evicted the group when he discovered its identity.

The IWW succeeded in opening a union hall in the Spring of 1918. Unfortunately, their enmity with conservative soldiers who would eventually form the local chapter of the new American Legion in 1919 was getting worse. The Bolsheviks had come to power in Russia and many feared that the IWW's intentions were similar, due in part to constant inflammatory allegations of ties between the two. Union members were being arrested across the country on federal sedition charges. IWW members were often targeted by vigilante violence around the region. To the business owners of Centralia, and the American Legion members in particular, the political leanings of the Wobblies were believed to be un-American and possibly treasonous.