Residents are celebrating Labor Day in a variety of ways

By Jason E. Silvers

Herald -Tribune

Fort Scott, Kan. -- Barbecues. Picnics. Parties. Spending time with family. Taking a day off.

Do any of these activities sound familiar?

Labor Day, a federal holiday that originated in the late 19th century in New York City, will be celebrated by working people across the country on Monday.

The holiday has different meanings for different people. For Kevin Taliaferro, Fort Scott, the holiday's meaning is simple.

"It's a time you can kick back, spend some time with the family, and light up the barbecue grill. I think we take Labor Day for granted. We just appreciate the day off," Taliaferro said of himself -- and, quite possibly, millions of other working men and women across the country, who view the holiday as simply a day of rest and relaxation.

Taliaferro, a college student who is taking a semester off to work full-time and be with his wife, has worked at Valu Merchandisers in Fort Scott for the last four years.

Kacha Hendrix, a sales representative for CP Communications in Fort Scott, shared Taliaferro's sentiments about how the holiday should be spent.

"Labor Day means time with my family," Hendrix said. "We normally go to the Little Balkans Day at Lincoln Park in Pittsburg."

Jennifer Tolley, Frontenac, said, "I see Labor Day as a 'thank you' for a job well done. It shows appreciation for everyone that is out in the work force every day making a difference, big or small."

Tolley is the manager of CP Communications, the company for which Hendrix works.

The origins of American Labor Day can be traced back to the Knights of Labor in the United States and a parade organized by them on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City. The Knights eventually passed resolutions to make the parade an annual event.

During that time, other labor organizations, including affiliates of the International Workingmen's Association, favored a May 1 holiday, but then-U.S. president Grover Cleveland was against this idea, as he thought it would be a way for people to commemorate the Chicago Haymarket riots that took place in early May of 1886.

In 1887, Cleveland supported the Knights of Labor and their idea to observe the holiday in September, and the holiday has been celebrated in the U.S. on the first Monday in September ever since then.

Tolley, who knows something about U.S. history, said Labor Day became a national holiday in 1894.

Both Taliaferro and Hendrix said that the true meaning and origins of Labor Day appear to be lost to much of the American public.

"I think we tend to neglect the historical aspect (of Labor Day)," Taliaferro said. "(The holiday) is held in remembrance of our forefathers who worked 14 to 16 hour days and what they did for us."

Hendrix added, "I know from my perspective I just look forward for the day off to spend extra time with my family."

Tolley said, "Like many other holidays, I believe that most people think of Labor Day as just another day off. A day to go to the lake or visit family."

Many teenagers and young adults view Labor Day as the last weekend of parties before returning to classes. Hendrix, who said she just began taking Internet courses at the University of Phoenix, doesn't see it that way.

"I can't talk for anybody else, but I do not see this weekend as one last party, but I don't party," she said.

Taliaferro, who knows about college campus life first hand, said, "It's the first big party weekend of the new semester -- a big three day weekend."

Tolley, who graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2003, agreed with Taliaferro, saying, "PSU always starts before Labor Day, so it was actually our first break of the school year. Many students take this long weekend for the first parties of the school year. Others, however, take the long weekend to go home for greatly missed home-cooked meals."

Political demonstrations during Labor Day are rare these days, but other forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water activities, and public art events. Many families take the weekend as the last chance to travel before the official end of summer.

The three area residents talked about their plans for the extended weekend.

"I'm going to spend some time with the wife, enjoying each other's company," Taliaferro said.

Hendrix said she had to work on Saturday, but then plans to catch up on Little Balkans Day events in Pittsburg. Tolley said she may join Hendrix at the three-day cultural and historical festival in Pittsburg.

"Maybe take my little boy uptown Pittsburg for his first Little Balkans Days," Tolley said.

The September date for Labor Day has remained unchanged, even though the government was encouraged to adopt May 1 as Labor Day, the date celebrated by the most of the world, but moving the holiday would have broken tradition and could have been viewed as aligning U.S. labor movements with internationalist sympathies.