Memorial Day Where It Started - Part II

Barbecues, a long weekend, store-wide sales, the unofficial start of summer. That’s what Memorial Day represents to many these days.

Lost in the shuffle is the actual act of remembering. Who is supposed to be recalled, and why ?
How and where did the holiday start ?

Last year we went to Waterloo. New York to hear about that community’s claim as the birthplace of Memorial Day.

There are more than afew other communities with their own claims.

One such community is Bolasburg, Pennsylvania in the foothills of the Alleghenies. It’s described as a dot on the map, and a place that could be easily overlooked if not for marker by the side of the road that reads: “Boalsburg. An American Village - Birthplace of Memorial Day”.
We pay a visit to Boalsburg, Pennsylvania to speak with longtime resident and historian of sorts Margeret Tenis about Boalsburg’s role in the origin of Memorial Day. We also see how they honor war dead and their community’s legacy today.

At:
http://conversationsontheroad.com (Access May, 2008)