1910's Artist: Joe Hill

Born in Sweden Joe Hill emigrated to America in 1902. He moved from New York City to Cleveland, Ohio and than to San Fransisco, California. Wile he was traveling he wrote many protest songs. In 1910 he joined the Wobblies and was a driving force in the workers unions. In 1911 Hill was in Tijuana, Mexico fighting for industrial freedom and to dethrone the Dictatorship of Porfino Diaz. On the night of January 10, 1914 Hill reportedly knocked on the door of a doctor in Salt Lake City asking for treatment for a gunshot wound. On that same night a grocer and his son were murdered but the son was able to injure one of the perpetrators before he died. The reports from two eyewitnesses matched with he wound on Hill which helped lead to his arrest and later conviction. Hill was executed on November 19, 1915 by firing squad in Utah. His body was then sent to Chicago were many mourners turned out before it was cremated and mailed to IWW locals in every state but Utah.