During W.W. I, St. Maries was a center of International Workers of America (I.W.W.) unionizing activity. In December 1917, Sheriff E. Noland raided the group's headquarters near here and arrested secretary William Nelson for advocating sabotage. On March 15, 1918, 300 "Wobblies" gathered on First Street between College and Jefferson Avenue and decided to storm the jail and free Nelson. The sheriff was assaulted while confronting them, but after an alarm sounded a local citizens brigade of 100 armed men assembled at College and Second, causing the crowd to disperse. On March 19, 1918, fifty federal soldiers from Fort Wright and fifty Idaho soldiers from Sandpoint arrived and took partial control of the city. Tempers soon cooled, curfews were lifted, and the occupation ended as the troops returned home. Nelson's trial was moved to Coeur d'Alene, and in April 1918 he was convicted of criminal syndicalism.