By Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD
Special to NKyTribune
My father loved Labor Day. He especially enjoyed Cincinnati’s WEBN Labor Day Fireworks celebration, begun in 1977. Born at the very beginning of the Great Depression and a youngster during World War II, dad genuinely appreciated the free and simple things of life, a true gift that grounded his ability to live fully in the present with his family and friends at his side.
Made a national holiday in 1894 by President Grover Cleveand, Labor Day celebrates all of us, the working people of the United States. Held on the first Monday of September, for decades it marked the last day of vacation before the official beginning of the school year for millions of children nationwide. It also wound up the season for many outdoor entertainment spots and amusement parks. Labor Day was filled with backyard cookouts, large family reunions and picnics, church outings and festivals, and sporting events.
In 1940, as the Great Depression waned and war in Europe and Asia intensified, the “Kentucky Post” sounded an optimistic yet somber tone in its Labor Day editorial. Stating that “the working man is encouraged by the prospect of quickened industrial activity, meaning more employment and better pay,” the editorial quickly transitioned to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s own words: “This year, embarked as we are on a necessary program of national defense, the day calls for a more than ordinary observance. It demands the dedication of labor, management, farmers, and government to a common purpose so that this great democracy, which is our heritage, shall be protected for our children and their children’ ” (“More Than Ordinary Labor Day,” “Kentucky Post,” September 2, 1940, p. 2).
By Labor Day 1941, the nation was careening towards war. The “Kentucky Post” noted that “The dignity of labor has risen to new heights through the national defense program,” while all the usual activity of “picnics, fairs, outings, baseball games, special golf attractions and other amusements” continued. One of the highlights of the holiday was the final day of the three-day Alexandria Fair in Campbell County, including a “Baby Show, sponsored by Speers Memorial Hospital, Dayton [KY], and the feature attraction, the fancy saddle horse show sponsored by the Newport Merchants’ Association” (“Labor Takes Much Needed Day of Rest,” “Kentucky Post,” September 1, 1941, p. 1).
LaborDaFully engaged in World War II by 1942, the United States celebrated Labor Day with more labor and much less recreation than prior Labor Days. “Throngs of men and women too” headed “to their posts in industrial plants turning out the weapons America needs to defeat her Axis enemies.” Festivities continued but were “tempered by the fact that a legion of toilers will keep the sinews of war as busy as ever.” The annual St. Joseph Orphanage picnic in Cold Spring was held, providing most of its funds since it received neither county nor state financial support (“Labor Day Just Time of Toil for Many Here,” “Kentucky Post,” September 7, 1942, p. 1; “These Orphans Will Greet You at Annual festival Sept. 7,” “Kentucky Post,” August 21, 1942, p. 11).
World War II officially ended with Japanese surrender aboard the “USS Missouri” on September 2, 1945. The following day was Labor Day 1945. An air of jubilation filled the air, as “thousands of northern Kentuckians, who formed many of the vital cogs in the wheels of labor in its massive production of materials for the winning of the war, rested.” The Most Rev. William T. Mulloy, Roman Catholic Bishop of Covington, celebrated a Labor Day Mass at Covington’s Cathedral. In Covington’s Devou Park, nearly 5,000 people were expected to attend a unique blend of entertainment, ranging from a high school boxing show, to a small rodeo, to singing and dancing by local entertainers — all to benefit the St. Elizabeth Hospital Contagious Fund. The Alexandria Fair, meanwhile, was concluding its annual three-day festivities (“Labor Holiday finds Working Forces Resting,” “Kentucky Post,” September 3, 1945, pp. 1, 3).
The next day, on September 4, 1945, more than 27,000 Northern Kentucky students started their new school year at public and parochial schools alike. Catholic schools enrolled 11,406, while Covington city schools remained the largest public district in Northern Kentucky with 6,419 students, followed by Newport at 3,600. Joining the rolls were World War II veterans committed to completing their high school diplomas.
Unlike my father, Labor Day evokes conflicting emotions for me. While the celebrations of Labor Day are enjoyable, they mark the virtual end of summer. Although I have always loved school and still enjoy teaching immensely, like many teachers and professors, I secretly long for the future when I can head out on a vacation after Labor Day is over. Perhaps that is when I’ll discover its true meaning and begin to live more fully in the present moment as my father did.
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Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD is Editor of the “Our Rich History” weekly series and Professor of History at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). To browse ten years of past columns, see: https://nkytribune.com/category/living/our-rich-history/. Tenkotte also serves as Director of the ORVILLE Project (Ohio River Valley Innovation Library and Learning Engagement). For more information see https://orvillelearning.org/. He can be contacted at tenkottep@nku.edu.