Immigrants working in the mines shaped Sheridan County's rich cultural identity. Although the majority of immigrants came from Poland, more than 20 nationalities were represented in the Sheridan County mines, including American, Welsh, Czechoslovakian, German, Slovakian, Swedish, Polish, Scottish, Bulgarian, Serbian, Japanese, Russian, Italian, English, Bohemian, Silesian, French, Yugoslavian, Hungarian, Irish, Austrian, Montenegrin, Greek, and Croatian. Thousands of immigrants found their way to the mines north of Sheridan, and although differences existed among miners in the camps, the common experiences and dangers of the mines generally bonded them together regardless of ethnicity. Language barriers, cultural diversity, and dependence on Sheridan as the regional hub led to discrimination between the larger town and the mining camps and towns, and although the mines supported Sheridan, residents of the larger town viewed people from the mining communities as second class citizens. The mining settlements were arranged with each nationality comprising a neighborhood, and formal Americanization classes together with the communities' cultural melting pot resulted in assimilation into American culture. In 1903, Dietz workers became the first in Wyoming to form a local within the United Mine Works of America, and unionization brought higher wages, shorter hours, increased mine safety, and improved working conditions. In 1919, the Sheridan mines joined a nationwide strike for higher wages, shorter workdays, and shorter work weeks; the National Guard rounded up miners striking at Carneyville and detained them at Fort MacKenzie, but all were eventually released and returned to work with a 14 percent raise. Many Polish food dishes, drinks, and holiday events continue to be celebrated throughout the community.