Parades and Celebrations
Many huge Memorial Day celebrations have been centered on this monument. The number of people and interest in the Memorial Day celebrations at this monument has varied greatly and at times has been very significant. On Memorial Day 1907, 16,000 men marched in a GAR Parade. However, in 1910, in a celebration headed by President Taft, only 1,500 showed up. In 1911, 20,00 men and 150 organizations took part in the Memorial Day parade. Then in 1914, 9000 men were noted in the New York Times article, in a parade from 72nd street to the monument. In 1922, the Memorial Day parade attracted 14,000 participants. The numbers dwindled down and in the 1990's only attracted only a few dozen people. Sept. 11, 2001, altered attitudes. The numbers grew after that.
Read more about this topic: Soldiers' And Sailors' Monument (New York)
Famous quotes containing the word parades:
“What makes the United States government, on the whole, more tolerable—I mean for us lucky white men—is the fact that there is so much less of government with us.... But in Canada you are reminded of the government every day. It parades itself before you. It is not content to be the servant, but will be the master; and every day it goes out to the Plains of Abraham or to the Champs de Mars and exhibits itself and toots.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)