The Birthplace of Memorial Day

In 2014, I blogged about “What Memorial Day Mean to Me.” This year, I am drawn to blog again, about Memorial Day. We traveled through Waterloo, New York at the start of the Memorial Day extended weekend. Waterloo earned the title the “birthplace of Memorial Day” and it is a very patriotic village.

Driving through the village, there are flags, buntings and flowers everywhere … on graves, porches, homes, light poles, even the businesses hang flags!

How did Memorial Day begin in Waterloo? In the summer of 1865, a prominent local druggist, Henry C. Welles, mentioned to some of his friends at a social gathering that while praising the living veterans of the Civil War it would be good to remember the patriotic dead by placing flowers on their graves. Nothing happened that year. He tried again, the next spring, by talking to General John B. Murray. Murray, a civil war hero and intensely patriotic. He supported the idea wholeheartedly and organized veterans’ support. Plans were developed for a more complete celebration by a local citizens’ committee headed by Welles and Murray.

On May 5, 1866, the Village was decorated with flags at half mast, draped with evergreen bows and mourning black. Veterans, civic societies and residents, led by General Murray, marched to the strains of martial music to the three village cemeteries. There impressive ceremonies were held and soldiers’ graves decorated. One year later, on May 5, 1867, the ceremonies were repeated. In 1868, Waterloo joined with other communities in holding their observance on May 30th, in accordance with General Logan’s orders. It has been held annually ever since.

Waterloo held the first formal, village wide, annual observance of a day dedicated to honoring the war dead. On March 7, 1966, the State of New York recognized Waterloo by a proclamation signed by then  Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller. The House of Representatives and the Senate unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 587 in mid-May of 1966. It reads in part “Resolved that the Congress of the United States, in recognition of the patriotic tradition set in motion one hundred years ago in the Village of Waterloo, NY, does hereby officially recognize Waterloo, New York as the birthplace of Memorial Day…”

What made Henry Carter Welles, so patriotic, who was he? Henry was born in Connecticut in 1821. His mother brought the family to live with relatives in Waterloo sometime after 1825. Little else is known about his early life. Henry married in the 1850’s and the couple had three children, all of whom died in childhood. He became a prominent druggist in Waterloo and was elected to village offices as well as being a member of fraternal organizations. While Henry was well known at the time, he would probably be forgotten today by all but descendants except for a comment that he made to townspeople in the summer of 1865. While it was widely known at the time that Henry Welles was largely responsible for the first Memorial Day, the more prominent General Murray overshadowed him in gaining recognition outside the village. The Centennial Committee, formed in Waterloo for the 100th observance in 1966, found the newspapers of the time gave Henry credit for suggesting the first Memorial Day. Henry C. Welles died in July, 1868, but had lived long enough to see Memorial Day nationally proclaimed by General John Logan. His obituary in the Geneva Times, one of few death notices in the papers in this time period, was statement of his importance in the community.

Who was the General that overshadowed Henry’s contributions to patriotism? John Boyce Murray was born in Arlington, Vermont on August 13, 1822. His parents brought him to Scipio, NY in 1831. In his early years, he studied law and taught in a rural school in Seneca County. Five years after his marriage to Angelina Savage, he moved with his wife and two children to Seneca Falls. Before the Civil War, he became a successful lawyer and politician. In 1862, he entered the war as a captain in the 50^th New York Engineers. He rose to the rank of Colonel in just over 2 years and commanded the 148th Regiment of New York State Volunteers. When he returned home in 1866, he was a brigadier general. He was elected clerk of Seneca County and moved to Waterloo to assume office. The idea of Memorial Day was suggested by the prominent druggist. Together they made Memorial Day a reality. In 1869, General Murray moved back to Seneca Falls and he was in great demand as a speaker. On Oct. 7, 1884, after making a speech at the Harrison Chamberlain residence in Seneca Falls, he fell seriously ill and died the next day.

It used to be everyone marked the day with the somber tradition of decorating or placing fresh cut flowers on graves of our war dead. Decades later, some still decorate graves as May draws to a close, but it is a practice few young people now follow. Today, Americans mark this holiday with parades, remembrance events and cook-outs. It's a different world. It's kind of a lost tradition. Many grandchildren, don't have any idea where their great-great-grandparents are buried, let alone if they served and died. Cemeteries and graves have less of a focal point in our lives. I worry about the day when graves go un-visited and undecorated. That is not the case in Waterloo NY, everyone participates in the activities leading up to and on Memorial Day!