I spent a bit of time this morning doing some reading about the history of Labor Day. It is a holiday for America's Workers commemorating the contribution they have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
I also stumbled across some information about the child labor laws that helped to change the working person's life here in America. This article focused on how Lewis Hine made photos to show the conditions of child workers in our country. It also led me to another webpage that will take me hours and hours to read from start to finish. It intrigued me so, that I want to share it in hopes that you will read along with me. Mornings on Maple Street is more than just a report on The Lewis Hine Project you will see.
To me, the website is also an inspiration. It makes me wish that I had transcribed many of the stories that my father told of his childhood. Like his walking across the arch of an old iron bridge that stood near where I grew up or how he and a co-worker's grandfather were taken to the State Fair and slipped under the fence to get in for free or how it came to light that what many thought was a married couple - a man and a woman - turned out to be two men when a fight revealed it to the community.
I also think of the stories my father-in-law told about when the local historic school was being built and he was attending classes in a tent right there on the school grounds. Those stories are lost to me but many are not. So, I hope to visit with some relatives and transcribe some of these tales about our local community to preserve them much like Manning and Hime have done!
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