The National Memorial Day Mueseum - Waterloo, New York

May 25, 2008 01:52 PM UTC (Updated: July 15, 2008 12:04 PM UTC)

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Welcome to Waterloo, New York, a small village nestled in Seneca County in the heart of the Finger Lakes region upstate; official birthplace of Memorial Day and home of the National Memorial Day Museum.

The mueseum, created in 1966 to help commemorate the holiday's centennial, is located at 35 East Main Street, Routes 5 & 20 in the heart of town and is just a short walk from the Seneca-Cayuga Canal.

The museum serves to educate those who come to visit, especially schoolchildren, to re-ignite the true meaning of Memorial Day. Visitors are immersed in a story that was born out of the unimaginable death toll of the Civil War and are taken, room by room, panel by panel through the origins of Memorial Day, those responsible for its founding in Waterloo in 1866, and the changing face and meaning of this somber holiday. Originally called "The Waterloo Memorial Day Museum", its name was changed to "The National Memorial Day Museum" in 2007 to reflect its importance to our country while inviting all to enter and learn.

      Waterloo first observed Memorial Day on May 5th, 1866. One year prior, Waterloo druggist and book seller, Henry Carter Welles, came up with the idea of not only praising the living heroes of the Civil War, but to also remember the patriotic dead by decorating their graves. In the spring of 1866, General John B. Murray, a Waterloo resident and Seneca County Clerk, advanced the thought and developed it. It was decided to close all businesses and devote an entire day to honoring the war dead. The townspeople were quick in adopting the idea.
      The entire day was observed in a solemn and patriotic manner. Ladies of the village prepared wreathes, crosses and bouquets for each veteran's grave. The village was decorated with flags at half mast, draped with evergreen boughs and black mourning streamers. Veterans, civic societies and townspeople, lead by General Murray, marched to the village's three cemeteries; Bear, Stark Street and Maple Grove. Ceremonies included speaches, prayers and martial music.
      On May 5th of the following year, these ceremonies were repeated. In 1868, Waterloo joined with other communities in holding their observance on May 30th, in accordance with General John A. Logan's General Order No. 11. In 1873, New York became the first state in the nation to proclaim this date as a public holiday by legislative action. Originally called 'Decoration Day', the name was changed to its current Memorial Day in 1882. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday and became a three day weekend with the official observance set aside for the final Monday in May. New York State Governor, Nelson A. Rockefeller signed a proclamation on May 7th, 1966 recognizing Waterloo as the birthplace of Memorial Day. Twelve days later, United States President, Lyndon Baines Johnson signed into law an executive order proclaiming Waterloo, New York to be the official birthplace of the holiday after both Houses of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, unanimously passed House Concurrent Resoluton 587 naming Waterloo as the community deserving of that very same honor.

Locally bequeathed artifacts - Civil War letters, muskets, uniforms, battlefield maps, items from subsequent wars and the like - now fill four rooms.

The front parlor and a soldier's portrait over the fireplace are draped in black to mirror the Victorian era's culture of mourning.

Learn more about Memorial Day by paying a stop to The National Memorial Day Museum in Waterloo, New York; a must-see sight while visiting the Finger Lakes region. The museum is open to the public May 15th through November 15th from 1 - 4 PM with additional dates and times by appointment. The first floor is handicap accessible. Tours and exhibits introduced in 2007 are available free of charge.
Some of the photographs used in this article are to be credited to David Duprey of Buffalo, New York, staff photographer from The Associated Press and Tanya Warren of Waterloo, New York, Curator of Musuems for the Waterloo Historical Society including the National Memorial Day Museum in Waterloo, New York.