7: Street Fight

Power in The Wilderness

Peace between Power and U.S. Steel doesn’t last long. As European war demand raises the price of steel, the value of iron ore in the land around Hibbing rises with it. As it does, miners decide they deserve better than poverty wages. When they went on strike in 1916 it became the biggest labor uprising in Iron Range history. Here, Mayor Power tries to maintain the rights of striking workers by banning the company police force from patrolling the streets of Hibbing, a move that likely saved lives. However, the strike becomes much bigger than just Power or Hibbing. As regional violence intensifies, Power receives an enormous blow from the mining companies. He and his entire administration, along with prominent supporters from Hibbing’s business community, are charged with graft by the administration of Governor J.A.A. Burnquist, a man who would become Power’s greatest rival in his quest for statewide office. Power would successfully defend himself and all his friends, but not before paying a great political price.