Firsts

Until the beginning of this long holiday weekend I had been unaware that Oregon was the first state to pass legislation making Labor Day a holiday in 1887. The first Labor Day celebration was an organized parade which took place in New York City on September 5,1882 overseen by what later became the AFL-CIO,but no formal legislation was signed at that time or place. In the seven years after Oregon officially named Labor Day a holiday 30 other states followed suit and in 1894 congress approved Labor Day as a national holiday. So if you are enjoying a three day weekend you can thank the forward thinking Oregonians!