The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds 728 - The Indianapolis Streetcar Strike of 1913
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Apr 7, 2026 A lively retelling of the 1913 Indianapolis streetcar strike, from the bold Halloween walkout to armed strikebreakers and track-sabotage tactics. The story follows union organizing, political maneuvering by city and state leaders, police mutiny and business deputization, and the dramatic arrival of the National Guard. It ends with arbitration, modest worker gains, and lasting shifts in labor and local politics.
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Two Rival Streetcar Empires And A Strategic Union Push
- Indianapolis had two streetcar companies: a unionized Street Railway Company and a nonunion Traction and Terminal owned by powerful bosses.
- Union organizer J.J. Thorpe built momentum in 1913 by recruiting hundreds, pushing for arbitration, higher pay, and safer hours amid rising socialist influence.
Halloween Strike Took The City By Surprise
- The strike began on Halloween at 11:00 p.m., with workers abandoning cars, marching to Labor Hall, and thousands filling downtown in costume.
- Organizers hung from fire escapes, police used searchlights, and scab operators were brought in from Chicago to run cars and intimidate strikers.
Violence And Chaos Around The Strikebreakers
- Traction hired Pinkerton-style strikebreakers who carried revolvers and blackjacks and actively harassed union leaders and families.
- Strikebreakers shot, beat scabs and even accidentally killed one scab and a young Black man was run over by a wagon.