Memorial Day Of Yesterday

By: Lon Christopherson

This month, we observe Memorial Day, an American holiday that honors and remembers those who have died in service to the United States. Originally called Decoration Day, it is a time for remembrance and reflection.

The first Memorial Day was in 1868, created to honor the soldiers who had died in the Civil War. As many Civil War veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic lived in the Prairie Farm area, Memorial Day was an important event in the village. A memorial inscribed with the names of thirty of these men stands along the main street of Prairie Farm.

In the early 1900s, Prairie Farm veterans organized the largest Memorial Day celebration in the state. An estimated eighteen local schools participated in the event. Students decorated wagons with flags, flowers, and buntings, which, on Memorial Day, were pulled by horses. The students rode in the wagons to the area cemeteries. Sometimes, as many as twenty wagons participated.

Students provided much of the day’s entertainment, with songs, recitations, and instrumental music. The morning parade to the cemeteries included flag bearers, school wagons, bands and local residents. Horseback-mounted police directed traffic to keep the wagons safe on their way.

When they arrived at the cemetery, a short program was held, after which the children decorated the graves of veterans with wild flowers. Afterwards, the wagons returned to Prairie Farm, where all enjoyed a picnic dinner. The day also featured musical entertainment provided by community bands from Prairie Farm, Dallas, and Ridgeland, as well as speeches delivered by local officials.

Today, Memorial Day is still a time for picnics and family, a time to visit our cemeteries and remember both those who have served our country and those family members who are no longer with us.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day, everyone!

Credit: Photo submitted by Lon Christopherson