BOALSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A central Pennsylvania community with one of the longest Memorial Day traditions on record is marking the 150th anniversary of the holiday this weekend.
In fact, officials in Boalsburg in Centre County maintain that the holiday actually began there in 1864. Christopher Lee, director of Boal Mansion Museum, says Memorial Day was started when “three ladies decorated soldiers’ graves” in that year.
Other towns that have staked a similar claim include Columbus, Mississippi and Columbus, Georgia. And President Lyndon Johnson in 1966 named Waterloo, New York the official birthplace of Memorial Day.
But Lee, who also heads the organization in charge of the festival, tells the Centre Daily Times (https://bit.ly/1jRVb6E ) that what’s important is not who was first but the unbroken tradition of Boalsburg celebrations for so many years.
___
Information from: Centre Daily Times, https://www.centredaily.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.