(Mrs. Pazar and Mr. Bellotti are brother and sister.) Mr. Pazar's family came to Huerfano County about 1908-1917. They homesteaded but returned to coal mining. Early miners worked long hours, 7 days a week. Boys would work in the mines with their fathers. Pres. Wilson instituted shorter workdays. The coal camps included many small stores, which have become centralized over time. Store owners had to extend credit to encourage trade and began to encounter more crime. During the 1913/1914 strike, their families were mining and homesteading, not running stores. They also recall the IWW ("Wobblies") strike in the 1920s. Afterward, homes and businesses began to transition from coal to gas for heat. Alber was in Toltec during the strike; he recalls the influx of armed strangers and the militia. Emma's family was in Rouse during the 1913 strike; they moved out, to homestead on Bear Creek. Many miners commuted to the mine from farms and ranches, coming home only on weekends. To "prove up" their homestead, they'd have to till some new land each season, for 3 years. They recall when there were more than 17,000 miners in Huerfano and Las Animas counties. Mrs. Pazar taught school after graduating high school.
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(Mrs. Pazar and Mr. Bellotti are brother and sister.) Mr. Pazar's family came to Huerfano County about 1908-1917. They homesteaded but returned to coal mining. Early miners worked long hours, 7 days a week. Boys would work in the mines with their fathers. Pres. Wilson instituted shorter workdays. The coal camps included many small stores, which have become centralized over time. Store owners had to extend credit to encourage trade and began to encounter more crime. During the 1913/1914 strike, their families were mining and homesteading, not running stores. They also recall the IWW ("Wobblies") strike in the 1920s. Afterward, homes and businesses began to transition from coal to gas for heat. Alber was in Toltec during the strike; he recalls the influx of armed strangers and the militia. Emma's family was in Rouse during the 1913 strike; they moved out, to homestead on Bear Creek. Many miners commuted to the mine from farms and ranches, coming home only on weekends. To "prove up" their homestead, they'd have to till some new land each season, for 3 years. They recall when there were more than 17,000 miners in Huerfano and Las Animas counties. Mrs. Pazar taught school after graduating high school.
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