From One Busy Guy.Com

Memorial Day... a forgotten history

 I was born in a small town in upstate New York. As kids we of course were delighted to have a day off from school. Not to mention the arrival of Memorial Day weekend meant that soon the school year would be ending. It was only a few years ago that I discovered where Memorial Day began.

Originally this celebration was referred to as Decoration Day. It was 1865 and Henry Welles (a druggist in the tiny village of Waterloo, NY) suggested that their town might honor those patriotic deceased who had fallen in the Civil War. The memorial could take the form of evergreen boughs and flags as well as wreaths and crosses. All reverently placed on the tombs and stones of the honored dead.

It was in the Spring of 1866 that the holiday began in earnest. In 1965 a small group of citizens set out to have Waterloo, NY officially designated as the birthplace of Memorial Day. An elegant home built in 1850 along the main street of this small village was purchased and restored to become the Memorial Day museum. Each year the town musters a huge parade and festivities to acknowledge their role in permanently establishing this observance. 

Lucky for me that I am able to use the resources of the web in collating this page. Waterloo, NY is only a few short miles from my home town. Much of this information comes from the Seneca county website and their assistance is much appreciated. While you are having a great cook out or lounging on the sweet, fresh mown grass you might try to recall. The incredible standard of living we enjoy in the USA was hard won by the individuals we honor this day. Have an icy cold lemonade and think about it... just a little.

Thanks for browsing,

                    Steve