Is it Columbus — or Waterloo, N.Y.? Or Boalsburg, Pa.?
Columbus claims to be the birthplace of Memorial Day — but so do about two dozen other towns across the nation.
An 1866 newspaper account described a procession to Columbus” Friendship Cemetery, where the graves of fallen soldiers, both Union and Confederate, were decorated with flowers. The event, which was reported in The New York Tribune, became a yearly occurrence in Columbus. In 1917, author Julian Street wrote Columbus was the first town where graves of Union and Confederate soldiers were decorated.
President Barack Obama, in his weekly radio address Saturday, singled out Columbus by name as the place where Americans first formally honored their war dead with a Decoration Day, which led to the Memorial Day holiday.
Memorial Day in Columbus remains low-key, however. Aside from volunteers marking the graves of soldiers with new U.S. and Confederate flags, few public events commemorate the holiday.
“It”s a part of our history and it”s a shame that we don”t do anything considering that little ol” Columbus, Miss., had such an integral part in Memorial Day,” retired Mississippi University for Women professor Larry Feeney said Sunday. “We should let the world know about it.”
Others enjoying the quiet Memorial Day weekend Sunday said Columbus should draw more attention to its connection to the holiday, with a parade — which nearby Starkville is launching for the first time Monday — or in some other way.
“I”m surprised I don”t know more about this,” said Columbus native Ora Duncan. “It would be nice to have a parade or something. We should be proud of it.”
On Third Street South near downtown Columbus, a state historic marker stands outside Twelve Gables, the antebellum home where Columbus women prepared flowers for that first Decoration Day in 1866.
“I think something should be done as a tourist draw at least. A highway sign that says ”Home of Memorial Day” or something at Twelve Gables or Friendship (Cemetery),” said resident James Denny.
Other cities claiming the Memorial Day birthright include Waterloo, N.Y., which President Lyndon B. Johnson declared to be the official birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966.
Unlike Columbus, Waterloo marks the holiday with an elaborate weekend of events.
Gary Westfall, Waterloo”s village clerk, treasurer and administrator, Friday explained the village, which has a population of about 5,000, will have a massive celebration, as they have every year since 1866.
“We have a whole weekend planned,” he said, noting the holiday is recognized, in Waterloo, on May 30. “We have two parades, a family-type parade and a veterans” parade on Sunday.”
A village festival includes vendors, fireworks, pony rides, wagon rides and boat tours during the holiday weekend.
“We have been continuously honoring the war dead,” he said.
Boalsburg, a quaint village in Centre County, Pa., also claims to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, when, in 1866, a teenage girl placed flowers on the grave of her father, a surgeon in the Union Army, and an older woman placed flowers on the grave of her son, a private in the ranks.
According to the legend, the young girl then placed some of her flowers on the woman”s son”s grave and the older woman reciprocated, the two having struck up a friendship, bonding over their common grief.
The township, this year, is commemorating the 146th celebration of Memorial Day, noted John Wainright, chairman of the township”s Memorial Day committee.
“We think it started here, but I understand there are some other communities that dispute that,” he said, adding Boalsburg, a township of only about 4,800 residents, will feature a “day-long celebration,” including craft booths, music in the town square, food, and carnivals.
A highlight of the celebration is a walk to the township cemetery, where a solemn service is held featuring the community choir.
“Basically, (this is important to us) for two things,” said Wainright. “(It”s important) to honor all the people who lost their lives in wars. It”s also an event that brings the community together. There are a lot of people who participate to pull this thing off. It”s a way to bring everybody together for a common purpose.”
Dispatch Correspondent Sarah Wilson contributed to this story.
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