# History of Memorial Day: Where did it Begin?

> HISTORY OF MEMORIAL DAY: BOALSBURG, PA The city of Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, an American village on the National Historic Register, claims to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, as do at least 24 other towns in America. I first visited this…
> URL: https://billpetro.com/history-of-memorial-day/
> Last modified: 2026-05-22T16:05:27+00:00

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## *HISTORY OF MEMORIAL DAY: BOALSBURG, PA

The city of **Boalsburg, Pennsylvania**, an American village on the National Historic Register, claims to be the birthplace of **[Memorial Day](https://billpetro.com/history-of-memorial-day-which-war)**, as do at least 24 other towns in America. I first visited this hamlet near State College, home of **Penn State University,** decades ago. Boalsburg’s claim goes back to a practice at the end of the Civil War. The town has a local museum and a history stretching over two centuries. The 19th-century feel of the village persists. A Memorial Day Festival is held there every year.

They have their own [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/MemorialDayInBoalsburg) and [website](http://www.boalsburgmemorialday.com/).

 

Table of Contents

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- [Memorial Day Custom](#Memorial_Day_Custom)
- [First Memorial Day Claim](#First_Memorial_Day_Claim)
- [Related](#Related)

### Memorial Day Custom

Its claim is stated on a large sign near the center of town:

An American village on the National Register

BIRTHPLACE OF MEMORIAL DAY

The custom of decorating soldiers’ graves was begun here in October 1864, by Emma Hunter, Sophie Keller, and Elizabeth Myers.

Named for **David Boal** who settled here in 1798. Village laid out in 1808. Boalsburg Tavern built in 1819. Post Office established 1820. First church erected 1827. Home community of three United States ambassadors.

 

### First Memorial Day Claim

Boalsburg Map, from nearby Penn State University

Is this claim valid? When I first visited it, it appeared to be. It had the earliest grave decorations. However, in 1966, President **Lyndon Johnson** declared Waterloo, New York, the official “birthplace” of the holiday, according to the Veterans Administration.

Furthermore, in 2014, the book The Genesis of the Memorial Day Holiday in America *asserts that the Boalsburg story first appeared in publication in 1904, some forty years after the claimed fact. And there was:

*“no indication that General Logan drew inspiration from any activities in Boalsburg and no evidence that it started the holiday.”*

However, it should be noted that the authors of this book are from Columbus State University in Georgia.

 

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian

[billpetro.com](https://billpetro.com)

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