Until 1971, Memorial Day was observed on May 30. That year, the holiday was moved to the last Monday in May. The original date was chosen by Major General John A. Logan, in his General Order No. 11, while he served as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, or GAR. He selected the date to ensure access to "the choicest flowers of springtime" across the country.
The GAR was the largest organization of Union Civil War veterans and a major political force in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Several North Dakota communities had GAR Posts, often led by respected local citizens.
Cities across North Dakota held programs and events to mark the day and honor Civil War veterans.
In 1909, Fargo hosted an impressive program at the GAR Post headquarters in the public library. Before the ceremony, GAR and Woman’s Relief Corps members, along with local citizens, braved poor ground conditions and looming bad weather to decorate veterans’ graves.
Bismarck’s 1913 observance featured a downtown parade and a ceremony at the armory, with music by the Bismarck band and local schoolchildren. Judge Spaulding delivered the keynote address, and the Gettysburg Address was recited.
In 1914, Grand Forks organized a large program that included decorating graves in the GAR burial lot at Memorial Park Cemetery, a parade downtown, and ceremonies in Central Park. GAR members, schoolchildren, and the local National Guard unit were among the participants. A year earlier, in June 1913, the city dedicated a GAR memorial and honored George B. Winship. The Post presented him with a new GAR member badge to replace one he had lost.
Monuments honoring the GAR still stand in Grand Forks, Fargo, and Devils Lake. In 2013, Grand Forks restored its GAR memorial for its 100th anniversary, with cleaning, landscaping, and a rededication ceremony held on June 23.
It’s important to remember: Memorial Day is not just another day off. It's a time to honor those who died in service to our nation by decorating graves, remembering their sacrifice, and keeping their memories alive. North Dakota communities continue this tradition, just as our earlier residents once did.
Dakota Datebook by Daniel Sauerwein
Sources:
- “National Cemetery Administration.” Accessed April 28, 2025. https://www.cem.va.gov/history/Memorial-Day-History.asp.
- “National Cemetery Administration.” Accessed May 5, 2025. https://www.cem.va.gov/history/MemDayOrder.asp.
- Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times. (Grand Forks, N.D.), 30 May 1914. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89074404/1914-05-30/ed-1/seq-1/>
- Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times. (Grand Forks, N.D.), 30 May 1914. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89074404/1914-05-30/ed-1/seq-5/>
- Grand Forks Daily Herald. June 22, 1913.
- The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.), 31 May 1909. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042224/1909-05-31/ed-1/seq-1/>
- Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]), 31 May 1913. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042242/1913-05-31/ed-1/seq-1/>
- Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]), 31 May 1913. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042242/1913-05-31/ed-1/seq-5/>
- Bolda, Den. “Grand Army of the Republic Monument.” Remembrance in Stone. Last modified 2010. Accessed May 2, 2025. http://heritagerenewal.org/stone/dlgar.htm.
- Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Civil War Memorial Assessment Form, Willis A. Gorman Post No. 6, Grand Forks, ND.
- “GAR Monument, Island Park, Fargo, N.D.” CONTENTdm. Accessed May 2, 2025. https://digitalhorizonsonline.org/digital/collection/uw/id/4863/.
- “Event Held to Rededicate Civil War Memorial.” Grand Forks Herald. June 24, 2013
