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Tag Archives: Memorial Day
“Those who say they would like to visit a battlefield seldom know what they are talking about…” A Letter from Private Erskine M. Church
This Memorial Day will be celebrated in many different ways than years past. The typical gatherings at monuments and cemeteries have given way to virtual remembrances of America’s fallen. Be it on Facebook, YouTube, or countless other streaming services, Americans … Continue reading
The Origins of Memorial Day
Across the country there will be Memorial Day ceremonies today. I recently had the chance to visit two towns that claim the origins of Memorial Day. Last September I was in upstate New York, near Waterloo. Reading up on the … Continue reading
Question of the Week: 5/27-6/2/19
It’s Memorial Day, and we’ve featured quite a few posts about the occasion and its history here on the blog and our social media. Which cemetery or burial ground is most meaningful to you to visit? Why?
“Strew the fair garlands where slumber the dead”
I have always loved ephemera—those bits and pieces of printed paper, originally meant to have only short-term popularity. I particularly like old postcards from the end of the 19thcentury up through the 1920s. Commercial artists like Ellen Clapsaddle and lithographers … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays, Material Culture, Memory
Tagged Decoration Day, Ellen Clapsaddle, Memorial Day, Tuck and Sons, vintage postcards
2 Comments
Saving History Saturday: Memorial Day and Preservation in Their Words
On Decoration Day in 1871, Frederick Douglass spoke these words to a large crowd at Arlington National Cemetery: “We must never forget that the loyal soldiers who rest beneath this sod flung themselves between the nation and the nation’s destroyers … Continue reading
Saving History Saturday: Honor Those Who Gave the Ultimate Sacrifice By Preserving Their Legacies
Next week, Americans across the country will be honoring those who gave the ultimately sacrifice in the line of duty. Some place American flags at their heroes’ graves, host a BBQ, visit a history museum, or watch a sports game. … Continue reading
The First Decoration Day
150 years ago today was the first Decoration Day, as proclaimed by John A. Logan and the Grand Army of the Republic. Other communities had started ceremonies of remembrance, but this became the major link in the chain that created … Continue reading
Posted in Memory, Monuments
Tagged Decoration Day, Grand Army of the Republic, John A. Logan, John Logan, Memorial Day
1 Comment
Memorial Day in Rural Maine
The trip up to Greenbush, Maine, along U.S. Route 2 parallels the east bank of the Penobscot River. The river in places gets to be half a mile or more from the road, and in other places, it’s right along … Continue reading
Question of the Week: 5/28-6/3/18
It’s Memorial Day. We think it’s important to remember the “common soldiers” who perished during the Civil War. In your opinion, is there a particular Civil War soldier we should remember today? Tell us about him (briefly) and why this soldier … Continue reading
Posted in Common Soldier, Question of the Week
Tagged ancestors, common soldier, Memorial Day
11 Comments
2018 Memorial Day Weekend
Wishing you a safe Memorial Day Weekend and a quiet moment to remember history and the sacrifice for freedom.
