The Bay View Massacre of Milwaukee’s Polish Strikers
Milwaukee’s Polish workers had enough in May 1886. After years of ten-hour days in brutal factories for just a dollar a day, they took a stand.
They met at St. Stanislaus Church, then 5,000 strong joined a city-wide strike for an eight-hour workday.
On May 5, as 1,500 marchers neared the Bay View mill, National Guardsmen fired a single volley on orders to “shoot to kill. ” Seven died that day, including a 13-year-old boy.
Yet from this bloodshed came change. The magnificent Basilica of St. Josaphat stands today as testament to the community that survived this massacre and later transformed Wisconsin politics.
Polish Workers Gathered at America’s First Urban Polish Parish
St. Stanislaus Catholic Church became the center of Polish labor activism in Milwaukee during the 1880s.
Built in 1866 as the first urban Polish parish in America, the church served as the Knights of Labor headquarters.
Polish immigrants made up a large part of Milwaukee’s workforce, working ten hours daily, six days weekly in dangerous foundries and iron mills. They earned just 90 cents to $1.15 per day.
On May 1, 1886, about 5,000 Polish workers joined 7,000 building-trades workers in strikes demanding an eight-hour workday.
Milwaukee Came to a Standstill as Workers United
The city stopped as the strike spread. Milwaukee’s Common Council already passed an eight-hour rule for city workers, and more than 20 private companies followed their example.
By May 3, over 14,000 Milwaukee workers left their jobs.
Nearly 15,000 striking workers filled the streets on May 2 for what was then the biggest parade in Milwaukee history.
The strikers closed every factory in the city except one: the North Chicago Rolling Mills Steel Foundry in Bay View. Business owners watched with worry as their companies shut down.
Hundreds Marched Through City Streets Chanting for Change
On May 3, about 800 workers started walking through Milwaukee streets. They shouted “eight hours, everyone must strike” as they moved from block to block.
The Milwaukee Journal reported that workers met at St. Stanislaus Church that morning before taking to the streets.
As the crowd passed through factory areas, more Polish workers and tradesmen stopped working and joined in. The march grew larger at CM&STO Car Company and Edward P. Allis Reliant Steel when workers inside heard the chants and walked out.
The Governor Tried to Avoid Using Military Force
Governor Jeremiah Rusk rushed to Milwaukee on a special train from the owners of CM&STO Car Company. He set up his office at the Plankinton Hotel where worried factory owners asked him to call out the militia.
Rusk held back at first, not wanting to step on city authorities’ toes. Milwaukee police followed the growing crowd, hoping things would stay peaceful.
Factory owners kept pushing Rusk to send in troops, but he kept saying no.
The Republican governor wanted local authorities to handle the situation before bringing in armed forces.
The Last Operating Mill Became the Center of Tension
By May 3, the strike force grew to about 1,500 people, mostly Polish immigrants with some Germans and Native Americans.
The North Chicago Rolling Mills in Bay View stood as the last major factory still running in the entire city. Strikers began calling out: “eight hours, everyone must strike, onto the mills!”
Labor leader Robert Shilling got Edward P. Allis to offer workers an eight-hour day with more pay, but workers turned it down.
They wanted everyone to get eight hours or nobody would go back to work.
Armed Guards Arrived to Protect the Rolling Mills
Town police called Governor Rusk and told him they didn’t have enough officers if things got rough. Rusk finally called out the militia, including the Kosciusko Guard made up mainly of Polish businessmen.
The Lincoln Guard came by special train and helped the plant manager get back inside. They formed a line between the strikers and mills as tensions grew.
By nightfall, over 250 National Guardsmen waited at the mills with clear orders: if strikers entered the mills, they should shoot to kill.
Rocks Flew as Tensions Boiled Over on May 4th
Talks between mill bosses and worker representatives broke down on May 4th when they couldn’t agree on the eight-hour workday. More state militia companies arrived, including the mostly Polish Kosciusko Guard.
As guardsmen walked through company gates, the angry crowd threw rocks and garbage at them. Inside the mills, workers argued with each other about whether to join the strike or keep working.
Outside, the situation grew more dangerous as strikers threw rocks while guardsmen held their line around the property.
Militia Received Orders to “Shoot to Kill”
Around 9 AM on May 5th, about 1,500 strikers gathered again, still chanting “eight hours. ” They walked four people across down Kinnickinnic Avenue toward the rolling mill.
A newspaper reporter noted some men carried clubs, stones, pistols, iron bars, and broken scythes, though they claimed they wouldn’t use them.
The militia captain told his men to pick out specific targets and shoot to kill when he gave the command.
A reporter who spent the night with the strikers noted the group lacked real leadership but shared a common purpose.
Seven People Died in a Single Deadly Volley
As the crowd got within 200 yards of the mill, Captain Treaumer shouted “halt,” but the strikers couldn’t hear him over the noise. He gave the order to fire, and the militia shot a single volley into the crowd.
Seven people fell dead and others got hurt. Among the dead was a curious 13-year-old boy who had just tagged along to see what was happening.
A retired mill worker who lived nearby died from a stray bullet while getting water from his yard. He wasn’t even part of the strike.
Polish Workers Faced Harsh Punishment After the Shooting
People ran from the scene in panic. Some angry strikers called for revenge against the militia.
The Milwaukee Journal reported six dead with at least eight more likely to die within a day. Guardsmen later found two more bodies along railroad tracks, apparently Polish immigrants who had joined the strike.
Many union leaders faced criminal charges, and Polish workers found themselves blacklisted across the city. Edward P. Allis fired all Polish workers and replaced them with what he called “less radical” nationalities. Other companies quickly copied this move.
The Polish Community Built a Magnificent Basilica Despite Persecution
In fall 1886, Milwaukee voters fought back by electing socialist People’s Party candidates to numerous offices. This began decades of progressive political victories that would transform the city.
The same Polish community that suffered in the massacre formed St. Josaphat Parish in 1888 as an offshoot of St. Stanislaus. It soon became Wisconsin’s largest Polish parish.
From 1896 to 1901, the community built the magnificent St. Josaphat Basilica using salvaged materials from demolished Chicago federal buildings.
The impressive church showed how early Polish immigrants expressed their heritage, faith, and pride through their houses of worship. In 1929, Pope Pius XI named St.
Josaphat the third minor basilica in the United States, honoring the resilient Polish-American community.
Visiting Basilica of St. Josaphat, Wisconsin
The Basilica of St. Josaphat at 2333 S 6th Street in Milwaukee connects you to the 1886 Bay View Massacre, when Polish workers from St. Stanislaus Church marched for eight-hour workdays before state militia killed seven strikers.
Enter through the Pope John Paul II Pavilion at S.7th and West Lincoln.
The basilica is free and open Monday-Saturday 10am-3pm.
Audio tours cost $5 in English, Polish, or Spanish, while Sunday docent tours after 10am Mass are free.
This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.
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