History of Labor Day
According to the Department of Labor, the first Labor Day was held on Sept. 5, 1882 in New York City, by the Central Labor Union. Many industrial cities adopted Labor Day celebrations before the Federal Government made it a National Holiday in 1894. The legislation adopting the holiday was rushed through and approved unanimously by Congress as an appeasement to organized labor after President Grover Cleveland sent 12,000 U.S. troops to crush the Pullman strike.
Pullman, Illinois was a company town designed and built by railroad magnate George Pullman to keep his workers from the lure of Chicago. Pullman owned everything in the town, from the opulent hotel where he resided to the homes he built and then rented to his employees. A recession caused the Pullman railroad company to lay off hundreds of workers. Those that weren’t laid off had their wages cut, but Mr. Pullman refused to lower the rent for the homes he leased to his workers. The workers struck. They were joined by nationwide railway unions. Things turned ugly and riots ensued. Two strikers were killed by federal marshals near Chicago. Eleven other workers were killed during the strike. The event drew national attention and Cleveland was condemned for his harsh methods. In an effort to calm workers across the country, the President and Congress drafted and passed the law creating Labor Day only six days after the strike was broken.
A national commission later found that the Pullman town was “un-American” and Pullman was forced to sell it. It was annexed by Chicago. Pullman was so unpopular with labor that upon his death in 1897, several tons of concrete were poured over his gravesite to prevent his corpse from being dug up and desecrated by workers.
President Cleveland never recovered politically from his use of the military to aid the railroad industry to break the strike. Illinois’ governor John Altgeld was furious that Cleveland had sent in Federal troops. At the 1896 Democratic Party Convention, Altgeld succeeded in keeping Cleveland from being renominated as the Democratic presidential candidate.
Today, we take the first Monday in September off to recognize “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations.” Few recall that workers’ deaths were the springboard for the holiday.
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Categories: Events Tags: 2011, 9-5-11, calendar, end of summer, event, first monday in september, holiday, labor day, president cleveland, pullman, september 5
2011 Alabama Food and Music Festivals
2011 Alabama Food and Music Festival Calendar of Events
Fiddlin on the Square and BBQ Cook-Off, Sept. 24, Athens
Visitors are welcome to bring their own banjo, filled or other musical instrument to join in the fun. Families will enjoy plenty of BBQ and live music in downtown Athens. Free Admission.
3 p.m.-8 p.m., 256.278.6436, www.spiritofathens.com.
National Shrimp Festival, Oct. 13-16, Gulf Shores
Alabama’s beaches will alive with live music and fresh seafood for the 40th Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores. More than 300 vendors showcase their fine arts and crafts, two musical stages feature major national recording artists as well as local favorites. The four-day event attracts more than 300,000 visitors. Thurs.-Sat., 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free admission. 251.968.4237, www.nationalshrimpfestival.com.
Evergreen Sausage Festival, Oct. 9, Evergreen
Enjoy locally produced sausage, live entertainment, a pet parade and children’s activities. Free. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 251.578.1707. www.evergreenchamberofcommerce.org.
The Original German Sausage Festival, Oct. 29, Elberta
Held the last Saturday in March and October families can enjoy German sausage, a variety of other foods, music, dancing, crafts, children’s rides and games. Free. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. 251.986.5805, http://sausagefest.elbertafire.com.
Alabama Pecan Festival, Nov. 4, Tillman’s Corner
The festival is family oriented with plenty of food featuring pecans, a free grand stand show of country & western music and a Sunday gospel show. Fri. 5 p.m.-until, Sat. 9 a.m.-until, Sun. 11 a.m.-until. Free admission. 251.401.5555, www.alabamapecanfestival.com.
67th Annual National Peanut Festival, Nov. 4-13, Dothan
The tourism event celebrates the local peanut crop. Live concerts at the amphitheatre, livestock exhibits, competitions, recipe contests, carnival rides, and fun are among the fun activities at the festival. Admission charged. Check Web site for times. 334.793.4323, www.nationalpeanutfestival.com.
Christmas on the River Barbeque Cook-Off, Dec. 1-4, Demopolis
The weeklong festival features Christmas in the Canebrake, the Alabama State Championship BBQ Cook-off, Alabama By-Choir Concert, day parade, Jingle Bell run, nautical parade with fireworks and lighting of the Love Light Christmas tree. For information on these and more food festivals listed in the 2011 Alabama Calendar of Events log on to www.alabama.travel.
2012 Gulf Coast Crawfish Festivals
2012 Crawfish Festivals on the Gulf Coast
Crawfish “season” typically runs from January through about June Here are some of our favorite Crawfish Festivals around the Gulf.
The Louisiana Crawfish Festival
Chalmette, LA
March 22-25, 2012
www.louisianacrawfishfestival.com
20th Annual Mississippi Coast Coliseum Crawfish Festival
Biloxi, MS
April 19-22 & 26-29, 2012
www.mscoastcoliseum.com
Creole Heritage Zydeco
Crawfish Festival
Baytown, TX
April 13-14, 2012
www.creolejambalaya.com
Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival
Breaux Bridge, LA
May 4, 5, & 6, 2012
www.bbcrawfest.com
26th Anniversary of the Texas Crawfish & Music Festival
Spring, TX
April 20-22 and 27-29, 2012
www.texascrawfishfestival.com
8th Annual Gulf Coast Zydeco Music & Crawfish Festival
Daphne, AL
May 18-20, 2012
www.gulfcoastzydecomusicfestival.com
