Tent Number 1 in Locus 1 was the first tent platform excavated by project archaeologists. Tent platforms have a very limited presence in the archaeological record.  Tents were not meant to be permanent and as such they leave little remaining after they are taken down, or burned in the case of the Ludlow tents. Strikers dug shallow ditches outside of the tents to keep water, dust, and coal out of the tent. The collection of dusts, ash, and coal in these ditches left a stain in the soil, which archaeologists used to identify the boundary for the tent.

The excavation at Locus 1 reveals several things.  First, the tent colony was oriented at about 45 degrees off North and the intersection of the railroad and county road.  Second, the tent platform gives us an indication of the size and layout of the striking miners’ tents and possibly the layout of the colony. From the identification of tent platforms, these tents were about 4m x 6m (24m2) in size. One striker, William Snyder testified that his tent was 16 x 24 feet (4.87 x 7.32m- 35.04m2). With an area range of 24m2 to 35.04m2, the strikers tents were comparable in size with CF&I’s 4-room cottages with a size of 30.6m2. Besides a uniform size, the union provided two uniform amenities, namely a stove and bedding. Beyond these uniform supplies, it was up to the household to create and design household space in the tent. Locus 1 reveals the layout of the tent colonies the miners called home during the strike.