Documents, Essays and Analysis for a History of the

Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen

 

 

Loggers Arrested on Marble Creek: Aliens Refuse to Take Oath of Loyal Legion and Are Apprehended. (Spokesman-Review) [April 30, 1918]This short news report emphasizes the potentially punitive nature of the Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen, a patriotic quasi-trade union entity established by the War Department of the United States in 1917. Nine “alien” loggers had been arrested by the Shoshone County sheriff at Marble Creek for refusing to take the loyalty oath of the LLLL. After their arrest the Scandinavian immigrants had “suddenly became patriotic and not only offered to sign up, but to buy Liberty Bonds as well,” according to the report. This proved insufficient and the nine were transported to Wallace, Idaho as part of an ongoing effort by authorities “to rid the county of undesirables and trouble makers,” according to the report.