Forest Home (formerly German Waldheim) Cemetery
Dedicated in 1893; Designated a US National Historic Landmark on and listed on the US National Register of Historic Places
18 February 1997
Every time I go to Forest Home, I photograph the monument. It’s beautiful and usually has some flowers or other remembrance left on its dais. If you go on May 1st, there will be crowds, speeches, and some kind of recitation of the events that led up to the unjust execution of the martyrs.
When you enter Forest Home, veer to the left and you’ll soon see the monument on your right. Over the decades, the monument has become the centerpiece of a large, diverse collection of gravesites for anarchists, communists, labor and other leftist activists.
The outrageous lefty idea being fought for at the protest gathering at the Haymarket was the eight-hour workday. A hostile, overly-militarized police force and a bomb-thrower who has never been identified to this day led to the miscarriage of justice memorialized by this monument.
RIP Messers Engel, Fischer, Parsons, and Spies as well as Lingg who committed suicide on the eve of his execution.
RIP also to Fielden and Schwab whose death sentences were commuted and who along with Neebe (who had only been sentenced to 15 years in prison unlike the rest), were eventually pardoned entirely.
All but Fielden are buried at the monument; Fielden moved out to Colorado after his pardon and is buried there with his wife.
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References
- The Haymarket Affair (Wikipedia)
- Haymarket Martyr’s Monument (Wikipedia)
- National Historic Landmark Nomination Form (National Park Service)
- Haymarket Affair (Drunk History — warning: barf)
- Haymarket and May Day (chicagohistory.org)
- International May Day » The Haymarket frame-up and the origins of May Day