Many places claim they were the first to celebrate Memorial Day, which was originally known as “Decoration Day,” a time to decorate the graves of fallen military men.
The first official Memorial Day took place on May 30th, 1868, when the graves at Arlington National Cemetery were decorated. Waterloo, New York celebrated it two years earlier in 1866. Because of that, President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo the “Birthplace of Memorial Day” in 1966.
But, Waterloo can’t claim the day as its own without a little disagreement. The History Channel states other communities say theywere the first to publicly pay tribute to their fallen heroes. Some of those include: Columbus, MS; Macon, GA; Richmond, VA; Boalsburg, PA; and Carbondale, PA.
And most-recently, another historical city has thrown its name into the pot for being the first to celebrate Memorial Day: Charleston, SC. A Yale historian, David Blight, said about 10,000 people gathered in (what is now) Hampton Park in 1865, a year before Waterloo’s celebration. The group, largely made up of African-Americans, had a parade and decorated Union soldiers’ graves during the memorial ceremony.
But Blight says this celebration was overlooked after the Reconstruction, when white men assumed power.
So, while some historians may continue disputing where the first Memorial Day was held, Waterloo will hold onto the “official” title as its home … just as it has for 45 years.
Additional Information:
To read more about Waterloo’s Memorial Day history and museum, visit its website.
To read more about the 1865 event in Charleston, click here.
To read more about the history of Memorial Day in general, visit the History Channel's website.
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