Ottawa, Illinois: The Radium Girls' Fight for Justice

Ottawa, Illinois. A young woman, barely out of her teens, dips a fine-tipped brush into a bowl of glowing paint. It's 1922, inside the old Ottawa High School, and sunlight streams through the tall windows, illuminating motes of dust that dance in their golden shafts of light. But these are no ordinary dust motes. They glitter with a faint, otherworldly luminescence. Before her is a tray of small black clock dials. She brings the brush to her mouth.

TIMELINE
1925: As early as 1925, Radium Dial had hired medical experts to examine its employees.
1938: In the spring of 1938, the commission ruled decisively, in favor of the women.
2011: In 2011, a bronze statue was erected in Ottawa.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Ottawa is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 170 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy