June 28, 1894: Labor Day Is Declared a Federal Holiday

June 28, 1894: President Grover Cleveland signs a bill making Labor Day a federal holiday, on the 1st Monday in September.

Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, diverse groups of trade unionists chose a variety of days on which to celebrate labor. In the United States, a September holiday called Labor Day was first proposed in the early 1880s.

In 1887, Oregon became the 1st State to make Labor Day an official public holiday. By 1894, 30 States were already officially celebrating Labor Day. In that year, during the Pullman Strike, Congress passed a bill recognizing the 1st Monday of September as Labor Day, and making it an official federal holiday. Cleveland signed the bill into law.

But the law only made it a holiday for federal workers. As late as the 1930s, unions were encouraging workers to strike to make sure they got the day off. All U.S. States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories have subsequently made Labor Day a statutory holiday.

Labor Day is considered the unofficial end of Summer. Of the 7 percent of Americans who take two-week vacations, many take them during the 2 weeks ending with Labor Day weekend. Many fall activities, such as school and sports, particularly football, begin about this time.

Canada also celebrates Labor Day on the 1st Monday in September. While the U.S. traditionally had baseball doubleheaders on the day, the Canadian Football League plays major rivalries on the day, called "The Labor Day Classic."

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June 28, 1894 was a Thursday. The only professional sports league in North America at the time was baseball's National League, and these games were played:

* The New York Giants beat the Chicago Colts, 6-5 at West Side Park in Chicago.

* The Brooklyn Bridegrooms beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 11-7 at Exposition Park in Pittsburgh.

* The Cleveland Spiders beat the Baltimore Orioles, 18-11 at the 1891-1909 version of League Park in Cleveland.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Washington Senators, 5-4 at League Park in Cincinnati. Yes, both Ohio teams then played in stadiums named League Park.

* The Louisville Colonels beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 11-9 at the 1893-99 version of Eclipse Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

* And the Boston Beaneaters beat the St. Louis Browns, 12-11 at the version of Sportsman's Park in St. Louis that became Robison Field.

The Spiders, the Orioles, the Senators and the Colonels were tossed out of the League after the 1899 season. The Browns became the St. Louis Cardinals in 1900. The Colts became the Chicago Cubs in 1903. The Bridegrooms became the Brooklyn Superbas in 1899 and the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1911.

And the names Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators would be adopted by American League teams.