Labor Day - Was that with a C or an A by Cindy Regnier

When the first Monday in September arrives many Americans will enjoy a day off work courtesy of a thing called Labor Day. Just what is Labor Day and how did it come about? Let’s see what we can learn.



In a nutshell, Labor Day is considered as the annual observance of the contributions American workers have made toward the social and economic achievements of our country. It began in the late nineteenth century, when workers asked for recognition and appreciation for their part in strengthening American prosperity.



Before it became a federal holiday, Labor Day was first recognized by labor activists and even a few individual states. Some municipalities passed ordinances in the late 1800s designed to encourage state legislation to recognize the observance. New York was the first state to introduce the idea, but Oregon was the first to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, on February 21, 1887. During that year, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York all passed laws establishing Labor Day as a holiday. By 1890, Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania had joined in and by 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday. Based on the enthusiasm of the states, Congress passed a law in June of 1894 establishing the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.


Peter McGuire




Great idea. So now, who can we thank for the much-appreciated day off at the end of a long hot summer? That answer is debatable but most agree that two men can lay claim to being the Founder of Labor Day. Records indicate that in 1882 a gentleman by the name of Peter J. McGuire, a Missouri resident and labor activist of the time suggested a day be recognized as a "general holiday for the laboring classes" to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."


Matthew Maguire



But there was a man named Matthew Maguire from New Jersey, also a labor activist. In 1882, Maguire proposed the Labor Day holiday. According to the New Jersey Historical Society, after President Cleveland signed the law creating a national Labor Day, the Paterson Morning Call published an opinion piece stating that "the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday." Both Maguire and McGuire attended the country’s first Labor Day parade in New York City that year.
In the first years of the Federal holiday, Americans celebrated Labor Day with parades and parties similar to the proposals outlined by the proponents of the holiday, They suggested that the day should be observed with – a street parade to exhibit "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. Speeches by prominent labor representatives were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.



Today, Americans celebrate Labor Day as an end of summer festivity with parties, parades and other events. Who is attending a picnic or backyard cookout this coming Labor Day? Thank you Mr. McGuire and Mr. Maguire!






Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood. Her experiences with the Flint Hills setting, her natural love for history, farming and animals, along with her interest in genealogical research give her the background and passion to write heart-fluttering historical romance.