Denver's First Labor Day Celebration Held at Argo Park

During the 1880s, Denver was booming. The arrival of the railroads attracted manufacturing, meat packing, food processing and small businesses. That growth spurt would include the Boston and Colorado, the Omaha and Grant and the Holdenville Smelters, brickyards, Denver Rock Drill and several meat packers offering jobs to both immigrants and American-born workers. Clusters of workers settled near their jobs in rural-sounding tracts like Garden Place, Greenwood Addition, Tacoma heights, and Cranberry Place. (Globeville would not be incorporated until 1891).
Industries focused on productivity, with workers toiling 12 hours a day, six, sometimes seven days a week, in gritty factories with few safety regulations, little fresh air, sanitary facilities or breaks. Women found employment in sugar factories, cigar making, commercial laundries or as domestic servants, while children could be found in factories, mines and agriculture. Injuries and deaths were common and left families very much alone and often destitute. The only holidays were Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and Sundays, and employees were not paid if they took the time off.

Workers responded by banding together, campaigning for shorter hours, more pay, better working conditions and recognition of their right to organize. New York City was home to the first Labor Day celebration on September 5, 1882, a peaceful event organized by the Central Labor Union (CLU) promoting the notion of a 10 hour work day. By 1885, “Labor Parades” were being staged in a number of industrial cities across the U.S., and municipal ordinances recognizing the holiday emboldened workers to take part. The first statewide Labor Day law was passed by the Oregon legislature on February 21, 1887. Colorado followed suit, with the measure being put before the voters, passed by the Colorado Legislature and signed into law by pro-labor Governor Alva Adams on March 15, 1887.

The city's first Labor Day celebration was held Monday, September 5th, 1887 with Denver's labor unions deciding to hold picnics and concerts, rather than a parade, in Argo Park.

The Rocky Mountain News from September 6, 1887 described the festive celebration, reporting that around 2000 people attended, listening to a band play at the pavilion and speeches by Governor Adams and various labor leaders. 

The inaugural holiday was a celebration of a day off, as well as the contributions of workers. It would be many years, and hard-fought battles before labor won the many rights we take for granted today.

Workers pose in front of the Boston and Colorado Smelter at Argo

Photo Colorado Historical Society

Map of the area in 1887, before the appearance of the Globe Smelter 

and before Globeville is incorporated

May 3 - Polish Constitution Day

On May 3rd, the trees are bare, the weather cool and overcast, but for Globeville's Poles, nothing could dampen their enthusiasm for Polish Constitution Day, a day to demonstrate their national pride. The festivities would begin with Mass, followed by a parade with all the Polish fraternal organizations, glee clubs and dramatic societies marching down Washington Street, and culminating in an afternoon of food, patriotic speeches, singing and story telling. Members of nearby churches and fraternal lodges would also attend, as well as local politicians (particularly if an election was near). With celebrations like Polish Constitution Day, Poles would keep their homeland alive even as the nation itself had been nearly erased.
In the late 18th century, the Republic of Poland had been carved up by its powerful neighbors, Russia, Prussia and Austria. The next 100 years saw a relentless attack on the nation's identity, with each of the conquering powers restricting the Polish language, culture and religion, and requiring young men to serve in the armies of their oppressors. Seeking political and religious freedom, as well as economic opportunity, Poles began to emigrate to America, arriving in Globeville during the 1880s. 
In Globeville, Poles would form fraternal organizations to care for each other and perpetuate their heritage, and despite their limited financial means, build St. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church and School. Poles would relish the freedom to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi in June, the birthday of Casimir Pulaski in October, and the Christmas and Easter traditions dear to them.
Today, the Polish nation is again alive and Polish culture in Globeville is vibrant and robust, continued at St. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church and School.
St Joseph's Polish Catholic Church
Krakowiacy Polish Dancers

Polish Constitution Day, circa 1941

photos used with written permission from Jan Gisewski Garland