HOMESTEAD, hinn'sted, Pa., borough in Allegheny County, on the Monongahela River and on the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie, the Penn sylvania and other railroads, about seven miles south of Pittsburgh. It was settled in 1871 and incorporated and chartered in 1880. The chief manufactures are foundry-products, glass, machinery and steel products. It is noted for its large steel plants, which employ over 7,000 men. The government is vested in a mayor,' elected for three years, and a council, which appoints the chiefs of police, street and waterworks departments. The borough owns and operates the waterworks. At one time An drew Carnegie (q.v.) was the principal owner of the Homestead steel works. Pop. 21,256.
There occurred in Homestead a serious strike which began 6 July 1892. Reductions in wages, change in time of signing the schedule and refusal to recognize the Amalgamated Iron and Steel Association, or to hold any confer ences with the men, had brought on a general strike to date from a certain time, and enraged the men into burning H. C. Frick, the manager, in effigy; whereupon the works were at once shut dbwn, 1 July, two days ahead of the agreed time, and the men armed themselves and prepared to resist by violence any attempt to supply their places with non-union men. The advisory committee of the union took charge of the town with regular armed companies, and allowed no one to enter the mills without their permission. On 5 July the company announced an intention to make repairs, and appealed to the sheriff for protection: he sent a small squad, who were at once driven from town by the strikers, the latter denying that any damage was intended and offering to be sworn in as deputies themselves. The company then hired a body of 300 Pinkerton detectives, who came up the river in barges; but the strikers broke through the fence surrounding the mill, en trenched themselves behind a barricade of steel rails and billets, and whenever the Pinkerton men attempted to climb the steep bank (which they began at 4 A.M. of 6 July), shot them
down. Next day they procured a 10-pounder brass cannon and bombarded the boat, splinter ing her wooden sides, but failing topierce the steel plates within. They then sprayed the boats with oil from a hose, and emptied barrels of it on the river, setting it on fire to float down and fire the boats. The detectives repeatedly ran up flags of truce, which were at once shot down. At length the advisory committee sent delegates to offer a safe-conduct to the detec tives, if they would leave their arms and am munition and quit the town under guard; they were forced to submit, but when leaving under escort, the mob stoned, shot and clubbed them shockingly, one having an eye struck out by a woman in the snob. Seven were killed first and last, and 20 to 30 wounded; and 11 strikers and spectators were killed by their return fire from the boats. The governor (Pattison) re fused to use the State power to quell the riot till the 10th, insisting that the local authorities must do their utmost first, and the sheriff must summon the citizens; and the troops did not arrive till the 12th, when the town was put under martial law. A committee of Congress was appointed to investigate the case; and later, a Senate committee in the interest of the strikers was appointed to inquire into the hiring of private armed parties to maintain public order. On 21 July Mr. Frick was shot and stabbed in his office, but recovered. On the 18th a number of strikers were arrested for murder ; and retorted by indicting the Carnegie Com pany, the Pinkerton brothers and five of their men for murder. The advisory committee was also charged with treason and usurpation, in taking military possession of the town. The mills were soon supplied with new men, but the strike was not officially declared till 20 Nov. 1892.