The Industrial Army Marches on Washington
Seattle’s unemployed men organize a parade and embark on a cross-country trek to demand relief, setting off local tensions and federal concerns.
The story, cleaned up
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The Northwestern Industrial Army will take up the line of march for Washington City at 7 o'clock this evening, and expects to be joined at Puyallup by the Tacoma army of about 500 men. How it will go from there is a problem, but Commander Henry Shepard does not expect that his soldiers will have to walk. An order was issued by Judge Hanford of the United States Court directing Deputy Marshal Vinson to swear in a sufficient force of deputies to guard the trains of the Northern Pacific from seizure by 'Commonwealers.' This action was taken because of a report that a concerted movement was on foot to seize trains at Spokane, Seattle, and Tacoma. The army will make a final parade of the city before making the start. Leaving the barracks, it will march along Commercial, Front, Pike, and Second streets, and then continue southward on South Third street and the Grant street bridge. It will then travel to the Duwamish valley to camp for the night.
“Several proposals have been made to capture a train, but Commander Shepard says he would not hear of it, as it would be in very bad taste, in fact it would be stealing.”
This march was part of 'Coxey's Army,' a widespread protest movement of unemployed men during the severe economic depression of 1894. It highlights a recurring tension in Seattle: how the city treats its most vulnerable populations during systemic economic busts, a struggle that remains central to Seattle's civic identity today.
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