Kaden Gariepy, a seventh grader from Lake Linden, asked his parents to stop at the Italian Hall Memorial in Calumet, so he could take some photos, which he shares here with us today. This is the site where Copper Mine strikers back in 1913 were holding a Christmas Eve party with hundreds in attendance, including many children. Someone yelled “fire” in the midst of the party festivities, which caused a panic in which 73 people were trampled on the stairs, trying to escape. More than half were children under ten years of age. The arch in the first photo has been rebuilt with portions from the actual Italian Hall entrance, where the party was being held and it frames the memorial to the people who lost their lives there that night. The black plaque lists their names in remembrance. A sad tragedy from the history of the mining days.

We get to take an actual “walking tour” of the site, with Steve Lehto back in 2017. Note that since this video was published, the black stone with the names of the victims has been added and the signs have been moved in different positions to accommodate that addition.

Excellent video! Great pics too!

My grandmother, Margaret Reilly, was there that day. Though injured in the stairwell, she survived. She was ten years old at the time. She was being raised along with her aunts and uncles by her maternal grand parents, Sandretto's. Her mother having died when she was only two years old. Her last name was actually Gulio but many thought it was Sandretto. I know of one census where she is recorded incorrectly as a Sandretto.
She has been gone a long time now, but She told the story many times as I was growing up. Her uncle carried her home that day.
Later she married Robert Reilly and together they had a photography studio on Fifth Street for many years. Their daughter, Nathaline was my mother.

Thanks for sharing your Grandma's story, Edward. I hope she had a long and happy life after surviving such a terrible event.

How interesting. I knew nothing about any of
this. Such a tragic story. How awful for
somebody to yell "fire" when there actually wasn't
one. So cruel

I too enjoyed Edwards's story about his
grandmother. So much history that many of us
never hear about. Thanks to pasty for sharing
Kaden's photos and the story behind it.

Tragic.

Jbuck...Thank you. Yes she lived a very happy life until 94 years. However she was not unscathed by the incident. She lost a kidney at about 2o yrs of age. They theorized that it was damaged in the hall and eventually it had to be removed. She went on to have three children two boys and my mother and 20 grandkids. My mother had eight of us and we all loved grandma dearly.

Great hearing 'the rest of the story' Edward - with a happy ending! The physical damage was bad enough but you'd think there would be an emotional component ~ even nightmares of the panic. It's wonderful to know the Lord blessed her with a loving family who i am sure she cherished to her last day. Thanks again for sharing the story with your Pasty friends.