Labor Day officially became a national holiday when President Grover Cleveland signed a bill into law on June 28, 1894 that called for the holiday to be celebrated on the first Monday of the month of September.

What many may not realize is Colorado’s prominent role in helping to bring about a national Labor Day holiday.

Colorado actually was the second state in the union, only behind Oregon, to create an official state holiday known as Labor Day and did it seven years before the national holiday. The momentum brought forward by Colorado and others states adopting a state Labor Day holiday along with efforts by the labor movement were viewed as important in encouraging Congress and President Cleveland in 1894 to establish a federal holiday.

For many, it may be hard to imagine the working conditions that many Americans labored under in the late 1800s. It was common for factories to require employees to work 12 hours per day/seven days per week for pay that barely allowed them to feed their families and provide a roof over their heads.

Workers often labored in unsafe working environments where it was not uncommon for an employee to be seriously injured or killed. Further, these workplaces generally had little access to fresh air or decent sanitary facilities, which further made for a horrible work environment.

It was not only adults who were subject to these conditions in mills, mines and plants but often children as young as 6 years old were hired. Some owners actually preferred children because they could generally pay them significantly less than the adults and they were less likely to strike.

On March 15, 1887, the Colorado’s General Assembly passed a law designating the first Monday in September as a state holiday honoring workers. Much of the credit for Colorado’s Labor Day holiday rests with Gov. Alva Adams (the namesake of Adams County).

Adams was elected governor for his first term in 1887 at the age of 36, making him the second youngest governor in the state’s history. (Adams went on to serve as governor two more times in the state).

Adams was a wealthy businessman who was pro-labor at a time when many elected officials were not, and this drew the wrath of some business owners. He appreciated the working people in Colorado and felt that a day of recognition was important to bring attention to these individuals and offer thanks for their efforts but also to shed light on the need to improve working conditions within the country.

To some extent Adams’ support for labor may have been because of his hard-scrabble upbringing. He was a self-made man who was an American success story. He was someone who had little growing up but began a business as a young man where he transported ties for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. This proved very profitable and he then took a position in Colorado Springs with a hardware and lumber store where after a short time he bought out the owner and also founded another hardware and lumber store in Pueblo. With the growth of the railroads and the cities, the stores were very successful and within the course of a few short years, Adams became very wealthy.

The first Labor Day celebration in Colorado was held on Sept. 6, 1887. The Rocky Mountain News reported that the festivity was one “celebrated with a genuine heartiness and enthusiasm.”

The News noted that over 2,000 people of various labor groups and supporters of the labor movement attended. The event was held at Argo Park in Denver and Gov. Adams topped a list of prominent speakers which was then followed by a band playing popular music of the era at the pavilion.

While the holiday was an important accomplishment of Adams, other actions on his part toward improving working conditions for labor may have been greater. In his first term he spearheaded the passage of a measure outlawing the employment of children under 14 in mines, smelters, and factories.

This was at a time when many other states continued to permit this practice. He also established the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the state. Finally he sought a way to reduce tensions, strikes, and violence between owners and workers over working conditions and benefits.

Adams was a proponent of arbitration, which he felt was a better path to resolving conflicts. In turn, under his third administration he was successful in creating a State Board of Arbitration in 1897, which helped to end many labor conflicts.

Greg Fulton is the president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, which represents more than 650 companies directly involved in or affiliated with trucking in Colorado today.

GREG FULTON

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