The Story of The Radium Dial in Ottawa, Illinois.

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Key Points

The Radium Dial Company, founded in 1917, moved to Ottawa, Illinois, in 1922, employing many young women to paint dials with radium-based paint.
It seems likely that the company’s operations led to severe health issues, including radium poisoning, for workers known as the Radium Girls, with many dying young.
Research suggests the company ceased operations in the mid-1930s, but its successor, Luminous Processes Inc., continued until 1978, leaving radioactive contamination.
The evidence leans toward significant environmental impact, with 16 contaminated areas in Ottawa designated as a Superfund site, affecting community health and requiring ongoing cleanup.
The community remembers the tragedy through memorials, highlighting its role in advancing worker safety and labor rights.

Company History

The Radium Dial Company began in 1917 in Chicago, focusing on painting clock and watch dials with glow-in-the-dark radium paint. It relocated to Ottawa, Illinois, in 1922, operating from a former high school building. At its peak in 1925, it employed around 1,000 young women, producing 4,300 dials daily. The company dissolved in the mid-1930s amid legal battles, but its impact lingered through Luminous Processes Inc., which operated until 1978.

Impact on Ottawa

The company’s operations caused radium poisoning among workers, leading to painful deaths and legal fights that set precedents for worker safety. Environmentally, it left 16 contaminated areas, now part of a Superfund site, with cleanup ongoing. The community honors the Radium Girls with memorials, reflecting on the tragedy’s role in labor rights and environmental awareness.

Survey Note: Comprehensive Analysis of the Radium Dial Company and Its Impact on Ottawa, Illinois

This survey note provides a detailed examination of the Radium Dial Company’s history, from its inception to its dissolution, and its profound impact on the Ottawa, Illinois, community. Drawing from historical records, environmental reports, and community accounts, this analysis aims to offer a thorough understanding of the company’s operations, the human and environmental consequences, and the lasting legacy in Ottawa.

Historical Context and Company Operations

The Radium Dial Company was established in 1917 as a division of the Standard Chemical Company, based initially in Chicago, Illinois. Its primary business involved painting clock, watch, and other instrument dials using radioluminescent paint containing radium, a product branded as “Luma.” This paint, a mixture of zinc sulfide activated with silver and powdered radium, made dials glow in the dark, catering to both military and civilian markets, especially during World War I when demand surged.

By 1918, the company was in full production, operating out of the Marshall Field Annex building in Chicago. In 1920, it relocated to Peru, Illinois, to be closer to its major customer, the Westclox Clock Company. However, by 1922, it moved again to Ottawa, Illinois, settling in a former high school building at 1022 Columbus Street, where it remained until the mid-1930s. At its peak in 1925, the company employed approximately 1,000 young women, who turned out around 4,300 dials each day. This work was considered skilled labor for women at the time, offering relatively high wages, which allowed many to afford fancy clothes and shoes, as noted in community recollections.

The company’s operations relied heavily on manual labor, with workers, primarily young women, instructed to lick their paintbrushes to maintain a fine point, a practice known as “lip-dipping.” This unknowingly exposed them to radium, leading to severe health consequences. Unlike the United States Radium Corporation, which also processed radium, the Radium Dial Company was specifically set up to paint dials, with no other radium processing occurring at its premises.

The Radium Girls Tragedy and Legal Battles

The use of radium-based paint had dire health effects, giving rise to the “Radium Girls,” workers who suffered from radium poisoning. The ingestion of radium led to a range of illnesses, including anemia, jawbone necrosis (often requiring amputation), and various forms of cancer. Many workers died young, often after prolonged suffering, with symptoms such as crumbling jawbones, crushed spines, and amputated limbs becoming tragically common. For instance, Catherine Wolfe Donohue, a key figure in the legal battles, died in 1938 after testifying from her couch during the trial, highlighting the severity of the health crisis.

The dangers of radium were known by the early 1920s, yet the company continued to claim the paint was harmless, exacerbating the tragedy. In 1937, affected workers, including Donohue, sued the Radium Dial Company, bringing national attention to the issue. The case was eventually upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1939, establishing the right of individual workers to sue for damages due to occupational diseases. This legal precedent was crucial in advancing labor rights and worker safety standards, such as the concept of “provable suffering.” However, the process took years, and many plaintiffs, including Donohue, did not live to receive compensation, with some receiving no payout at all.

The legal and public scrutiny led to the company’s dissolution during the trial. Joseph A. Kelly Sr., the company’s head at the time, later opened Luminous Processes Inc. a few blocks away in Ottawa, continuing similar operations until 1978. This successor company further extended the legacy of radium-related activities in the area.

Health Impact on the Community

The Radium Girls’ tragedy had a profound impact on Ottawa, affecting not just the workers but the broader community. Many of the affected women were local residents, and their illnesses and deaths shocked the town. The high number of young women dying from radium poisoning highlighted the dangers of industrial work and spurred community outrage. Illinois, an early adopter of workers’ compensation laws in 1911, provided some financial awards to affected workers, which was a mixed blessing given the long, agonizing illnesses many endured, such as crippling sarcomas and crushed spines.

The saga of the Radium Girls holds an important place in the history of health physics, women’s rights, and the labor rights movement. Their fight for justice not only brought attention to the need for safer working conditions but also set legal precedents that influenced national labor policies. The community’s memory of these events is evident in the dedication of a life-sized statue in 2011 to honor the Radium Girls, located in Ottawa, and historical markers that detail their struggle, such as the one at Remembering the Radium Girls Historical Marker.

Environmental Impact and Superfund Designation

The environmental legacy of the Radium Dial Company is equally significant. The factory site and surrounding areas became contaminated with radioactive materials due to the disposal of radium-laced waste and debris. This contamination likely originated from the processing of wastes and demolition debris from the Radium Dial Company between 1918 and 1936, and from Luminous Processes, Inc. between 1937 and 1978. The extent of the contamination led to the designation of 16 areas in Ottawa as part of the Ottawa Radiation Areas Superfund site, located at RTE 6 & RTE 71, Ottawa Area, Ottawa, IL 61350, as documented by the EPA at OTTAWA RADIATION AREAS | Superfund Site Profile.

High levels of radiation were detected in soil and buildings, posing long-term health risks to residents. Cleanup efforts began in the 1980s, with the U.S. Department of Energy identifying 14 “hot spots” through aerial surveys in 1986, following state funding to tear down the Luminous Processes building and haul rubble to a toxic waste landfill in Washington in 1985, as reported in The Radium Girls: Cleaning Up Contamination | NPR Illinois. By 2024, the EPA had completed cleanup at 15 of the 16 contaminated areas, but one major site still required attention, reflecting ongoing environmental challenges. The EPA’s Community Involvement Plan (CIP), finalized in January 2024, aims to inform, engage, and support affected communities, evolving as cleanup progresses, as noted in the same EPA profile.

The contamination has been linked to cancer deaths in the 1920s and 1930s, and community members, such as Katie Troccoli, expressed mixed feelings about the recognition of the problem, stating, “It was nice to be right, but [also] not because our community was contaminated,” as cited in The Radium Girls: Cleaning Up Contamination | Northern Public Radio. The ongoing cleanup efforts underscore the long-term environmental impact on Ottawa, with financial and logistical challenges noted, such as the lack of funding for addressing these issues.

Community Memory and Cultural Legacy

The Radium Girls’ story remains a significant part of Ottawa’s identity, remembered through various cultural and educational initiatives. The community has commemorated their struggles with memorials, such as the Radium Dial Memorial at Radium Dial Memorial | Attractions Ottawa Illinois, and historical markers that detail the workers’ fight for justice. Documentaries like “Radium City,” produced in the late 1980s, have also kept the story alive, featuring interviews with former dial painters like Marie Rossiter, who lost a leg due to radium exposure, as seen in Remembering the Radium Girls Historical Marker.

The tragedy has been documented in books, such as Kate Moore’s 2017 book, “The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women,” and news articles, ensuring that the lessons learned about worker safety and environmental protection are not forgotten, as discussed in The Radium Girls: An Illinois Tragedy | NPR Illinois. These efforts highlight the community’s resilience and commitment to remembering the past to prevent future industrial negligence.

Comparative Analysis and Broader Implications

The Radium Dial Company’s story is part of a broader narrative involving other radium dial companies, such as the United States Radium Corporation, which faced similar lawsuits in the 1920s. The Ottawa case, however, is notable for its specific impact on a small community, with long-term environmental consequences that continue to require attention. The legal battles, particularly the 1939 Supreme Court decision, were among the first to hold companies accountable for employee health and safety, influencing reforms and the creation of modern occupational safety standards, as noted in Radium Girls – Wikipedia.

The environmental cleanup, managed under the Superfund program, reflects national efforts to address industrial contamination, with Ottawa serving as a case study for the challenges of balancing community health, economic development, and environmental restoration. The ongoing EPA involvement, with contacts like Community Involvement Coordinator Phil Gurley (Gurley.Philip@epa.gov (mailto:Gurley.Philip@epa.gov), (312) 886-4448) and Remedial Project Manager Nabil Fayoumi (fayoumi.nabil@epa.gov (mailto:fayoumi.nabil@epa.gov), (312) 886-6840), underscores the federal commitment to resolving these issues, as detailed in the EPA profile.

Summary Table of Key Impacts

Aspect	Details
Founded	1917, Chicago, moved to Ottawa, IL, in 1922
Peak Employment (1925)	Approximately 1,000 young women, producing 4,300 dials daily
Health Impact	Radium poisoning led to deaths, legal battles set worker safety precedents
Environmental Impact	16 contaminated areas, Superfund site, ongoing cleanup, linked to cancer deaths
Community Legacy	Memorials, historical markers, documentaries, influence on labor rights and environmental laws
Successor Company	Luminous Processes Inc., operated until 1978, continued contamination

This table summarizes the key aspects of the Radium Dial Company’s history and its multifaceted impact on Ottawa, providing a concise overview for further analysis.

Conclusion

The Radium Dial Company’s history from 1917 to its dissolution in the mid-1930s, followed by the operations of Luminous Processes Inc. until 1978, left a lasting imprint on Ottawa, Illinois. The health tragedy of the Radium Girls, the environmental contamination requiring Superfund designation, and the community’s enduring memory through memorials and educational efforts illustrate a complex legacy. This case study highlights the importance of worker safety, environmental stewardship, and community resilience, offering lessons for contemporary industrial practices and public health policies.

Key Citations