Sign Text for Michigan Landmark #L1337C:
The building that stood on this site was called the Italian Hall, and was home to the Societa Mutua Beneficenza Italiana, which aided immigrants and others in need. Built in 1908, the hall housed a saloon and an Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company store on the first floor. A main hall with a dining room, a barroom, and a stage were on the second floor. The hall was the site of one of Michigan’s worst tragedies. On Christmas Eve 1913, seventy–three people died due to a false alarm of “Fire!” When the building was razed in 1984, the archway from its main entrance was saved. In 1989 the Village of Calumet, with the help of Operating Engineers Local 324 and the Friends of Italian Hall, created this park dedicated to those who died in 1913.
By December 1913, thousands of area copper miners had been on strike for five months. They were fighting for union recognition, safer working conditions, shorter workdays and better pay. On Christmas Eve hundreds gathered on the second floor of the Italian Hall to attend a holiday party for strikers’ families. As the children filed to the stage to receive presents, someone yelled “Fire!” People panicked and rushed toward the exit. There was no fire. Many were trampled on the stairs. Officially, seventy-three people died; more than half were children under ten. Despite a Congressional hearing and a coroner’s inquest, the person who yelled fire was never identified.
More about The Italian Hall Tragedy:
Calumet was home to folks from all across the world, seeking jobs in the copper mines, but from 1871 to 1910, under the leadership of Alexander Agassiz, they had no collective voice! Mr. Agassiz was staunchly anti-labor, would not negotiate, and went as far as to divide up workers by ethnicity to take full advantage of language barriers! After he died, the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) formed to negotiate for better working conditions, but mine owners still wouldn’t talk. With union funds running low and winter in full swing, Anna Klobuchar Clemenc, president of the WFM’s Women’s Auxiliary Local No. 15, organized this party to raised spirits. While it’s never been proven, it’s suspected that the shout of “Fire” was initiated by a company representative! The strike ultimately failed, and many folks left Calumet for friendlier pastures.
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer at Keweenaw National Historical Park!
- Donate to the Isle Royale & Keweenaw Parks Association!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
423 7th St
Calumet, MI 49913
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Whenever the mood strikes you!
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