Tuesday, April 19, 2016

A Milk Strike in Sycamore, Illinois, in 1916

From the April 6, 2016, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back"

1916, 100 years ago:

"The army of fighters representing milk producers-- a full 100 strong-- began arriving in automobiles in Sycamore this Friday morning and by evening had established an effective cordon barrier on the outskirts of town on all roads leading into Sycamore.

"The first man to appear with a load of milk was Gunard Johnson, who lives on the outskirts of Sycamore-- at the end of DeKalb Avenue.  He drove toward the Borden plant from the north when the early watchers happened to be over by the Organ residence at the other side of the plant.

"When the bunch saw Johnson approaching the plant with milk they started to run toward the plant to intercept him, but their fur coats and heavy clothing made running rather slow, and Johnson seeing the 'bunch' of 25 men or so approaching, whipped up his horses and got to the plant ahead of the men and got his milk unloaded."

I wonder what they would have done if they had caught Johnson?  --Cooter

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