The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-29
FIRST ME M0RIA DAY PARADE HELL
 IN BRIDGEPORT !

 On May 5, 1868. Gen John A Logan. then commander-in- chief Of the Grand Army Of the Republic, issued a gem Ieral order calling on all members or the order to honor the memory of their departed comrades by streWfng then graves with flowers on May 30. He lalso ordered that this date thereafter that in addition to placing flowers on 1.-the graves, public services of 9 memor- faI fcharacter be held in memory of those who, on land and sea. lost their Hives in defense Of the Union and for l the loyal soldiers and sailors, veter- ans of the Civil War, who might die afterward. Elfas Howe, Jr., post No. B c. A. R., Iof this city obeyed the order that year by sending =detachments of its Sae11- bers to the various cemeteries and placing flowers on the draves and There was no general parade. James E. DunIlam was commander of the 1O- |cal post in 1868. The following yearhow- evers a big parade was organized to
 march to Seaside park where exer- |cikes in which the public participated
 were held and this custom has heen |dontfnued without aNbreak ever since N The first MeznoTial Day parade in EBr1dEeport occurred on Saturday. May zo, 1868. May 30 falling on Sunday wear veterans hold the parade a day sooner. Past |Comfnander-in-Ch of the G. A. Fs.s Alfred B Beers, was chief marshal.
 pr. G. L. Porter was his aid. Besides these two none of the others who took a prominent part in the exercises that. day are living. N. Fl. Root was mars
 shaI Of the first division. Dr. G. Ohnes- tborg Of the second. and Maj M. Kel- |iy Of the third. The orator of the day was Maj. L. N. Middlebrook and Sam
 ueI B. Sumner read an original poem. The Memorial Day commit ttee of the e. A R. that year was 5. B. Sumner. Judge David B. Lockwood and Samuel
 E. Blinn. None of these men are liv-. ing today
 The parade formed in Beaver street
 now Fairfield avenue, at is3os and the march to the park began at ? o'clock. start of ther parade have been main-
 tafned ever since. The route was out Beaver street to CDurt1and street to
 State street to Broad street to the site where the Soldiers and Sailors nonu- ment now stands at Seaside park. Preparations for the erection of the monument were just beginning then. Tn fact not even the foundation had been laid but temporary cenotaph made of wood and decorated with flags and flowers, had been erected about the site of the proposed monument and there the exercises were held.
 From the files of the Farmer of the
 Monday following we learn that the day was fair and that a large number Eof citizens gathered at the park to
 listen to the exercises.
 Or the organizations that took part in that parade and the exercises which followed but few are in exis- tence now The Elias Howe Post brass band which led the column has long since t1isbanded. The militia or- Smees fcf, +59 f1ae>s
 post comprised the first division of the parade, were Companies B and E of the 9th regiment and Light Battery B. These militia. companies now are no more and few if any Of the men who marched in their ranks are living today Tn the second division were the Sch utxen corps the Ger mania societye and the Turn verein. Of these only the Germanfa, society ia left In the third division, were the B. and the St. Ratrick,s T. A. B. asso- citations. All of these societies are still in existence and although they no longer parade as organizations, mem bers of all three have been found in every Memorial Day parade since the first one 45 years ago.
 The Wheeler & Wilson band head ed the thirtfs division on the occasion of that first parade but not one of the men who marched with the band that day is now living.
 At Seaside park that day relatives and friends of deceased soldiers dec-3 orated the cenotaph with flowers, custom that pertains until this day and which Tsn be repeated tomorrow. Tn one division of tomorrow's parade will march more men than comprised the entire procession on the first Me- moriaI Day, put the spirit of patriot ism was the same then and the mo-
 lives of the narchers just as sincere.
 Some years ago through activity on
 the part Of the Grand Army ofy the Republic the day became off7cIal1y known as Memorial Day It is now legal holiday in all the states, (and District of Columbia, Porto Rdco and AlAslka) except Arkansas. Florida,