Memorial Day
Historical Marker and Monument
Waterloo, NY
N 42° 54.259 W 076° 52.021
Short Description:
A New York State historical marker describing the history of Memorial Day is located on Rts. 5 and 20 in Waterloo, NY
Long Description:
An historical marker erected by the State Education Department is inscribed:
Historic New York
Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Henry C. Welles, a prominent citizen, first proposed the idea for a day completely devoted to honoring the Civil War dead. General John B. Murray, the Seneca County Clerk, who had commanded the 148th New York Infantry Regiment in the war, quicky advanced the thought and marshalled community support. Since that year, Waterloo has annually observed Memorial Day. New York, in 1873, became the first state to proclaim Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, as it was originally called, a public holiday.
In May 1966, a joint resolution by the United States Congress and a proclamation by President Lyndon B. Johnson officially recognized Waterloo as the birthplace of Memorial Day.
The State Education Department
A nearby monument celebrates Waterloo New York as the Birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866
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