Way We Were August 19, 2015 Don't Mourn, Organize! by Jenette Purdy
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Way We Were August 19, 2015 Don’t Mourn, Organize! By Jenette Purdy, Director of Education, Park City Museum "Goodbye Bill. I die like a true blue rebel. Don't waste any time in mourning. Organize." On November 19, 1915, Joe Hill was executed by firing squad at the Utah State Prison (located at what is now Sugarhouse Park and Highland High). He’d been found guilty of the murder of Salt Lake City grocer and former police officer John G. Morrison and his son. Hill maintained his innocence until his death and others advocated for his clemency, including President Woodrow Wilson and Helen Keller.1 Joe Hill was born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund in Gavle, Sweden on October 7, 1879. Also known as Joseph Hillstrom, he moved to the United States in 1902 with his brother after their parents died. Hill became a migrant laborer, moving from New York, to San Pedro, California. By 1908, Joe Hill had joined the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), known as Wobblies.2 He wrote political songs and satirical poems, including “There is Power in a Union” and “The Rebel Girl.” As Hill himself wrote: “A pamphlet, no matter how good, is never read more than once, but a song is learned by heart and repeated over and over.”3 His contributions to the IWW’s “Little Red Songbook” inspired labor activities around the country. In 1913, Hill made his way to Utah and worked in the Silver King Mine in Park City.4 He soon became ill and was taken to Salt Lake. Shortly after, on January 10, 1914, John G. Morrison was murdered and Hill was arrested for the crime. Details of the inconsistent, cloudy evidence presented at his trial can be found in many publications, but most scholars agree that Hill was most likely not guilty of the murder of Morrison. In death, however, Hill became a martyr, an image perpetuated by the IWW.5 Years later, Hill reentered the popular imagination, fittingly, through music. A poem titled “I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night,” written by Alfred Hayes in the 1930s was set to music by Earl Robinson. Paul Robeson and Pete Seeger often performed the song and in 1969, Joan Baez’s Woodstock performance of the song became one of the best known recordings of the 1 Joe Hill, Gibbs Smith. 2 The Man Who Never Died, William M.Adler, page 30 3 Joe Hill, Gibbs Smith, page 19. 4 Joe Hill, Gibbs Smith, page 63. 5 The Man Who Never Died, William M. Adler. song. Other folk artists, such as Woodie Guthrie and Bob Dylan, wrote songs about Hill’s lasting legacy.6 I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night, alive as you or me… “Takes more than guns to kill a man,” says Joe, “I didn’t die.” John Sillito, professor at Weber State University, will give a presentation on the life and legacy of Joe Hill at the Park City Museum (528 Main Street) on Tuesday, August 25 at 5:30pm. (inset) Main image credit: Park City Historical Society and Museum Inset credit: Used by permission, Utah State Historical Society Caption: Joe Hill (inset) was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), or Wobblies. The IWW was one of the most radical, and thus reviled, labor organizations of the early 20th century. Many IWW members found themselves in legal trouble. This IWW logo, burned on to the wall of Park City’s historic jail, can be seen at the Park City Museum. 6 The Man Who Never Died, William M. Adler, pages 18-21 .