Small Town Collaboration Inspired by NYC-based Labor Group

“The Lockout of the 20,000”

Thursday June 5th brought a remarkable program to Little Falls Public Library. Steven Davis of the New York Labor History Association was the primary speaker during an hour-long program focused on an 1886 Mohawk Valley factory strike and resulting preemptive action taken by a consortium of area factory owners to lock out some 20,000 local, mostly unskilled knitting mill workers from their factory jobs.

In response to this strike and lockout, the Knights of Labor workers’ union sent representatives to Little Falls to help support and organize local factory workers. Approximately 1,500 Little Falls factory workers belonged to this organization, referred to locally as the Rockton Labor Club.

Davis and the New York Labor History Association had in their possession two notebooks containing great amounts of information, including secretary’s minutes, from 1886 Knights of Labor / Rockton Labor Club meetings in Little Falls. TheNYC-based organization has graciously donated these important primary source documents to the Little Falls Historical Society’s Old Bank Building Museum.

The June 5th program was centered around information contained in these two important notebooks.

As part of the program, a number of Little Falls middle school teacher Adam Jodway’s students read excerpts from these notebooks. The program also included video displays of a number of time period pictures of Little Falls factories and workers.

This program would not have been possible without the strong, working cooperation of the Little Falls Public Library, Little Falls Central School District, My Little Falls, and the Little Falls Historical Society.

The two Knights of Labor notebooks can be viewed at the Old Bank Building Museum.

Jeffrey Gressler is a member of the Little Falls Historical Society.