FUN FACTS
The Clock Isn’t Broken:
The clock in the center tower of the Castle at UPH remains at 8:00 to signify the victory of the 8-hour workday, which the ITU was a major part of winning, along with the 40-hour workweek.
Sagebrush and Rattlesnakes:
When the property was dedicated in 1892, it sat on a hill a mile and a half from town with nothing but “sagebrush and rattlesnakes,” as depicted in that month’s Harper’s Weekly article and photo.
The Property Was Self-sustaining:
By the 1920s, the property was virtually self-sufficient with hundreds of acres of fields, vegetables, hundreds of dairy cows and hogs, and thousands of chickens.
Not Quite Equal:
A glance at the Castle might make you believe that it is symmetrical from the center clock tower, but the south side actually has one more section of rooms which were added during the 1923 addition.
Union in Name:
The city street “Union Boulevard,” which runs North-South in front of the property, was once a dirt road called “Main Street.” The name was changed to Union because of the Home. It now stretches for miles, and has been one of the main streets for over 100 years.
Largest Labor Union
At its peak, the ITU was the largest labor union in the world, and very powerful. It was instrumental in creating equal workplace rights for women, the 8-hour work day, and the 40-hour work week which are now codified in the US.