The Pride of the Union City
Eight years after its dedication, the Everett Labor Temple stands as a monument to local union solidarity and the struggle for a space of their own.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Everett was the first city on the Pacific coast to own a Labor Temple built and owned by organized labor. Nine years ago, the unionists of the city were meeting in poorly ventilated, ill-constructed buildings. Realizing the value of a building in which all trades could meet and mingle, agitation was begun among the unionists of the city, and a sentiment crystallized which resulted in the formation of a building association. To that herculean work, the union pioneers in Everett owe the possession today of a Labor Temple free from debt and owned entirely by the unions of the city. Eight years ago this Labor Day, the present building was dedicated to the union movement by William Blackman, and since that time it has done yeoman service in cementing the ranks of organized labor. Plans have been laid within its walls which have borne fruit in many hard-won victories.
“Realizing the value of a building in which all trades could meet and mingle, agitation was begun among the unionists of the city.”
The original Labor Temple on Lombard Avenue became a cornerstone of Everett's identity as a 'union town.' While the historic building was eventually replaced, its legacy persists in the city's ongoing debate over labor rights and the modern role of community-owned spaces in a rapidly gentrifying industrial hub.
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