Centennial commemoration of 1914 Ludlow Massacre to kick-off Friday at El Pueblo History Museum with Children of Ludlow exhibit

PUEBLO, Colo., Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new exhibit opening on Friday, Sept. 20 at History Colorado's El Pueblo History Museum examines the 1914 Ludlow Massacre, an event that sparked a national outcry, through the lens of the children who witnessed it. Developed for families with children ages 10 and over, Children of Ludlow: Life in a Battle Zone, 1913-1914 presents artifacts, photographs, oral histories and multimedia to highlight the perspectives and repercussions experienced by some of the 9,300-plus children of coal miners who were on strike in southern Colorado.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130918/DC81774 )

The exhibit includes a model tent city and features stories from local descendents who share their personal connections to Ludlow and the Colorado Coalfield War. A fictional video character, Elena, the 10-year-old daughter of a Mexican coal miner, guides visitors through the exhibit.

Starting in September 1913, striking coal miners, their wives and children, were expelled from their company-owned homes and forced to live in tent colonies on southern Colorado's open prairie. On April 20, 1914, tensions between miners and militia erupted in violence in the Ludlow tent colony, leaving the colony destroyed and 11 children dead among the more-than 20 who were killed. In 2008, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated the Ludlow site a National Historic Landmark.

The exhibit kicks-off the state's centennial commemoration of the Colorado Coalfield War and Ludlow Massacre. Diverse groups of citizens have developed a variety of programs and events that will be offered over the next 15 months in communities across the state. Visit www.ludlow100.com for more information.

Children of Ludlow is presented by Black Hills Energy. The exhibit will open during Pueblo's Chile and Frijoles Festival and museum admission will be free to festival goers. Additional information about El Pueblo History Museum's pricing, hours and special programs is available at ElPuebloHistoryMuseum.org.

About History Colorado
History Colorado connects people to the stories, places and heritage of Colorado's past that provide perspectives about today to inspire their choices for tomorrow. Find out more about History Colorado, a Smithsonian Affiliate, on Facebook, twitter (@HistoryColorado), our website, HistoryColorado.org, or call 303-HISTORY.

Media Contacts:
Dawn DiPrince
Associate Director, El Pueblo History Museum
Co-Chair, Ludlow Centennial Commemoration Commission
[email protected], 719/583-0453

Rebecca Laurie
Public Relations Director, History Colorado
[email protected], 303/866-3670

SOURCE History Colorado