HONEA PATH - All that remains of the abandoned South Carolina textile mill that was the site of the deadliest violence during a national labor strike 75 years ago are crumbling brick walls, creaky wood floors and whispers of the tragedy.
The fate of Chiquola Mills is unknown. The site is slated for auction in November after the owner failed to pay $5,000 in taxes and stopped demolition amid tough economic times.
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Others see an opportunity to preserve a historic site, where seven mill workers were gunned down when the superintendent, who was also the town mayor and judge at the time, ordered armed guards, many of them fellow townspeople, to fire into the workers
On Sept. 6, 1934, workers mired in the midst of the Great Depression and angry over low wages and harsh working conditions descended upon the mill as other employees were headed into work. Dozens were injured in the shooting and melee in Honea Path, a rural town in northwest South Carolina.
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Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2009/10/06/972533/honea-path-mill-crumbles.html#storylink=cpy
Most people have no idea about the about the labor movement in South Carolina. Those trying to unionize were beaten down, at times literally, by different groups that owners used. Help from the national level was spotty at best.
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