I delivered the following remarks at the city of Lowell Memorial Day observance at Lowell City Hall on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

History of Memorial Day

By Richard Howe

Good afternoon. My topic today is the history of Memorial Day. To understand that, you must begin with the American Civil War. From 1861 to 1865, more than 700,000 people died while serving in the military making it the costliest war in the history of the United States. Here in Lowell, of a population of 36,000, more than 5,000 served and 646 of them died. That’s the equivalent today of 2,100 deaths.

After the war, those who survived felt a duty to preserve the memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice. In 1868, General John Logan, the commander of the Grand Army of the Republic which was the largest veterans organization in the country, ordered that all GAR members should observe May 30 as Decoration Day, an occasion to place flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers. The size and influence of the Grand Army of the Republic caused Decoration Day to become a nationwide event. By 1890, all northern states had adopted it as an official holiday and in the aftermath of World War I it expanded to honor the dead of all American wars. In 1967, Congress changed the name of the holiday to Memorial Day and moved it from May 30 to the last Monday of the month.

One hundred years ago here in Lowell, Memorial Day began with veterans organizations attending church services then going to all the cemeteries in the city to place flowers on the graves of deceased comrades. All would then gather next door at Memorial Hall, now the Pollard Library, for lunch and socializing. At 3pm, everyone would walk to the South Common to form up for the big parade that at its peak involved 7500 marchers and 75,000 spectators.

While we are disappointed that parades like that have faded from our culture we should not grow discouraged. In his 1868 order that created the first Memorial Day, General Logan said there is no prescribed form the observance should take but that each community shall hold such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

In the spirit of General Logan, thank you all for being here today to fulfill the solemn trust of honoring those who have given their lives in service of our country.