Mansfield’s Labor Day Parade Monday was enjoyed under crystalline skies and led by a color guard of firemen dressed in formal uniforms. It featured over 50 units and followed the traditional route from the 5-way light at Park Ave. and Bowman into the downtown area.

LABOR's DAY--

Celebrated the first Monday of September, the holiday is a creation of the labor movement. It constitutes a yearly, national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of the country.

Yet today, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers. Some records show a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor was first to propose a special day to honor workers.

Recent research, however, seems to support the idea was first advanced by the secretary of NY City’s Central Labor Union in 1882. They adopted a Labor Day proposal and conducted the first celebration on September 5th that year.

In 1884 they changed their date to the first Monday of September and urged similar organizations in other cities to follow their example and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” on that date.

Many municipalities adopted local ordinances in 1885 and 1886 and from those a movement began to secure state legislation. The first state to pass a law was Oregon in 1887.

Many other states followed quickly and on June 28th, 1894 Congress passed an act making the first Monday of September a legal holiday in DC and “the territories”.

Today the US Department of Labor reminds us “The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known.”