William H Blizzard was an American union organizer, a commander of the miners' army during the Battle of Blair Mountain, and president of District 17 of the United Mine Workers.
15 Facts About Bill Blizzard
1.
2.
Bill Blizzard was born on September 19,1892, in Cabin Creek, West Virginia.
3.
Bill Blizzard was born to his parents Timothy Blizzard and Sarah H Blizzard.
4.
Bill Blizzard's father, Timothy, was a coal miner and his mother, Sarah, was a strong supporter of the UMWA.
5.
Bill Blizzard was cocky and self-confident and his family's loyalty to the UMWA was very strong, for this reason at the age of ten Bill Blizzard and his family would be evicted from their home.
6.
Bill Blizzard was 18 or 19 at the time his mother tried to destroy the railroad and defend tent camps full of miners.
7.
At ten years old Bill Blizzard was evicted from his home along with other miners for being strong supporters of the UMWA.
8.
Bill Blizzard was very persuasive and at times created a lot of controversy.
9.
In recent years it has been discovered Bill Blizzard was the miners General during the Battle of Blair Mountain.
10.
Bill Blizzard claimed she had a letter from then President Warren G Harding that supported many of the rights the miners were fighting for.
11.
Bill Blizzard testified at Blizzard's May 1922 trial that he had been disregarded after he read the president's proclamation demanding an end to violence, after which he communicated to his superiors that troops were needed.
12.
Tension between John Lewis and Bill Blizzard continued, coming to a head when Blizzard got into a fist fight with John Lewis' younger brother.
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Bill Blizzard never forgave John Lewis for this and it is said he regretted being involved with John Lewis.
14.
Bill Blizzard retired to a farm in Putnam County in 1955.
15.
Bill Blizzard died three years later on July 31,1958.