Roane County Strike at Harriman, Tennessee

DESCRIPTION: Singer calls Harriman a "beautiful town." Mill workers strike; the owners call in the Roane County law. The company gets an injunction; strikers are arrested but released on bail. Singer may have to leave; he'll remember home's beauty
AUTHOR: lyrics probably by Henry Garrett
EARLIEST DATE: 1936 (field recording, Henry Garrett)
LONG DESCRIPTION: Singer praises Harriman, Tennessee as a "beautiful town." Mill workers there organize a union and strike; the owners call in the Roane County law. The company gets an injunction against the strike; the strikers are arrested but released on bail, "now we are out with our loved ones again." Singer says that if he has to leave "to seek re-employment" he'll always remember the beauty of his home.
KEYWORDS: strike travel factory labor-movement work police worker
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
Oct 26, 1933 - workers at Harriman Hosiery Mill strike in an attempt to organize a local of the United Textile Workers of America as authorized by the new National Recovery Act. After nine months, the factory's "Blue Eagle" certification is removed, but the strike fails
FOUND IN: US(Ap)
RECORDINGS:
Henry Garrett, "Roane County Strike at Harriman, Tennessee" (AFS 3176, 1936)
Mike Seeger, "Roane County Strike ar Harriman, Tenn." (on MSeeger02)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "In the Hills of Roane County"
cf. "Precious Jewel" (tune)
File: RcRCSaHT

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography