It’s hard to imagine that the streets of Appleton and seemingly quiet country roads of Outagamie County were the battlegrounds for a conflict known as the Milk Strikes of 1933.
Emily Rock, curator at the History Museum at the Castle in downtown Appleton, will tell the story of how milk pricing caused farmers and Wisconsin National Guard members to square off in violent confrontations when she presents “Bombs, Shotguns and Gas Grenades: Outagamie County and the 1933 Milk Strikes” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 19 at the Museum.
Admission for the program is free, and it is expected to last approximately an hour.
Rock notes that farmers, angered by the low price they were paid for milk during the Great Depression, went on strike three times for “cost of production . . . plus a reasonable profit.” While the original tactic used was street blockades, the conflict eventually erupted into violence.
This month marks the 81st anniversary of the start of the strikes.
For additional information, contact the Museum by calling (920) 735-9370 ext. 104 or view details online at www.myhistorymuseum.org/Events
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