In August 1935, Mexican and Mexican American agricultural workers in the Teton Valley near Driggs, Idaho, organized a strike to challenge unfair wages, difficult working conditions, and the treatment of migrant farmworkers during the Great Depression.

For years, agricultural companies had recruited seasonal laborers from Mexico and Mexican American communities throughout the western United States. These workers played an essential role in harvesting peas grown in eastern Idaho.

One major employer was the San Diego Fruit and Produce Company, which worked with local growers and contractors to recruit laborers for the Teton Valley pea harvest.

Workers and their families often traveled long distances after being promised wages and employment opportunities. However, many encountered overcrowded living quarters, inadequate sanitation, expensive supplies, and disagreements over the wages they were supposed to receive.

Problems had existed for several years. In 1931, Mexican consular representatives investigated complaints about working conditions and documented inadequate housing in migrant labor camps near Driggs.

By the summer of 1935, tensions between laborers and agricultural employers had intensified.

Pea pickers were receiving seventy cents for every hundred pounds of peas harvested, with an additional fifteen-cent bonus available only to those who remained until the end of the harvest.

Workers objected to this system because it made their earnings uncertain and could result in the loss of accumulated bonuses.

The laborers demanded a guaranteed payment of one dollar for every hundred pounds of peas picked.

When employers refused their demands, approximately 1,500 workers went on strike in August 1935.

The strike interrupted agricultural production at a critical point in the harvest. Growers feared significant financial losses as harvested crops could deteriorate quickly.

Tensions escalated between striking workers, local authorities, and agricultural employers. Reports described arrests, confrontations, and disputes over the treatment of strike participants.

Idaho Governor C. Ben Ross responded by deploying the Idaho National Guard to Teton County.

National Guard troops arrived in Driggs on August 15, 1935, and intervened in the labor dispute. Workers identified as organizers were detained, and some were removed from the county.

The remaining laborers returned to the fields, ending the strike without obtaining the wage agreement they had demanded.

The intervention attracted criticism from labor organizations, which argued that the use of military force against striking farmworkers violated important civil liberties and workers' rights.

Although the workers did not win their immediate demands, their actions demonstrated a willingness to organize collectively against exploitation and unequal treatment.

The Driggs pea pickers' strike became an important chapter in the history of Mexican and Mexican American agricultural labor in Idaho.

Today, the historic Teton County Courthouse in Driggs provides a related civic reference for understanding the conflict. The original strike took place across agricultural fields and labor camps in Teton Valley, rather than inside the courthouse.

The events of 1935 remain a reminder of the struggles migrant workers faced in demanding fair compensation, dignified working conditions, and equal protection of their rights.