As a boy I looked forward to driving to my grandparent’s home in Gilroy, Calif., on the major holidays. On one visit my grandfather took me into his bedroom and showed me his Colt New Service .38 caliber revolver. I was stunned! What was my quiet, peace-loving grandpa doing with this monstrous revolver? That’s when I first heard about the mining wars, the Western Federation of Miners and Harry Orchard, and why these were an important part of my family history.