Life in the mining community of Cokedale (part 1 of 3)

Life in the mining community of Cokedale (part 1 of 3)

Margolis, Eric, 1947

McMahan, Ronald L

5/22/78

Emilio came to Colorado in 1910 from Italy and began working the coke ovens. He describes this and other jobs in some detail, including working both with mules and machinery. He speaks of the bathhouse and union activities at the local saloon. After WWI he met Gertrude in occupied Germany and eventually they married, though they had no language in common. Cokedale did not experience the violence that other towns did during strikes. The couple doesn't mention any harsh treatment from the coal company. Gertrude remembers the close-knit community, baking bread in outdoor ovens, dancing at summer parties, involvement in school activities, and the Victory gardens of the Depression. People had good times in spite of having little money. Everyone was friendly and ethnic background played no role. Mining ended around 1947 and many inhabitants moved away, while others bought the company house they lived in and stayed. First 10:00 not transcribed as it shows footage of outdoor scenes; Transcript begins (pg. 2 of Ferraro pdf transcript); 20:00 -- His job at coke ovens, process to produce coking coal (pg. 6 of pdf transcript); 30:00 -- His early work cleaning coke ovens, after coming from Italy as a child (pg. 9 of pdf transcript); 40:00 -- Discusses his different jobs, including loading coal into cars (pg. 12 of pdf transcript); 50:00 -- Diverse ethnicities in Cokedale, he recalls mules in the mines (pg. 16 of pdf transcript); 64:00 -- The 1914 strike, his involvement in the war, he recalls meeting his wife (pg. 23 of pdf transcript).

Coal mines and mining

Quality of life--United States--History

Husband and wife--United States--History

United States--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century

Coking coal--United States

Coal miners--Personal narratives

Interviews

Plains to Peaks Collective

moving image

https://cudl.colorado.edu/luna/servlet/detail/UCBOULDERCB1~76~76~1102546~285566