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49-616: The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded as a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1960 by Paul H. Merriman and Robert M. Soule, Jr., along with a group of local railway preservationists. They wanted to save steam locomotives and railway equipment for future historical display and use. Today, the museum offers various tourist excursions from stations in Chattanooga and Etowah, Tennessee . Founded in 1960 and incorporated in 1961,

98-625: A railyard for the storage and repair of equipment and had rebuilt the abandoned rail line through the Whiteside Tunnel. The reconstructed line ended at Tunnel Boulevard, as the original bridge over this road had been removed some years earlier. With the reconstructed rail line, the museum had the ability to produce a small amount of income by operating a heritage railroad . They ran passenger excursion trains through Whiteside Tunnel (commonly referred to as Missionary Ridge Tunnel, because it went through Missionary Ridge). Additional income

147-552: A date for coordinated strike action. The proximity of the date to the bloody Haymarket affair of May 4, 1886, further accentuated May First's radical reputation. There was disagreement among labor unions at this time about when a holiday celebrating workers should be, with some advocating for continued emphasis of the September march-and-picnic date while others sought the designation of the more politically charged date of May 1. Conservative Democratic President Grover Cleveland

196-487: A law that he signed in 1894. Since the mid-1950s, the United States has celebrated Loyalty Day and Law Day on May 1. Unlike Labor Day, neither are legal public holidays (in that government agencies and most businesses do not shut down to celebrate them) and therefore have remained relatively obscure. Loyalty Day is formally celebrated in a few cities, while some bar associations hold Law Day events to celebrate

245-558: A national organization, which they dubbed the "National Railway Historical Society". Leon Franks of the Lancaster club was elected the first chairman of the NRHS and William P. Hamilton III of Trenton was the first NRHS president. The NRHS has around 10,000 members as of October 2015 and is one of the largest rail historical societies in the U.S. The NRHS is a non-profit section 501(c)(3) organization. Al Weber of St Louis, Missouri ,

294-627: Is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in the United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for the historical development of railroads . It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , and organized into 16 regions and 170 local chapters located in the United States , Canada , and the United Kingdom . The NRHS sponsors the popular RailCamp summer orientation program in partnership with Amtrak and

343-405: Is currently national president . Its mailing address is: c/o John K Fiorilla, Esq., Capehart & Scatchard PA, P.O Box 5016, Mt.Laurel, NJ 08054. The NRHS is "a historical preservation charity", with its future focus on education and preservation. The Society holds an annual national convention, featuring exhibits and excursions using historic railroad locomotives and rolling stock. It publishes

392-558: Is operated by the Georgia Northeastern Railroad , with subsidiary Blue Ridge Scenic Railway operating another heritage railroad from McCaysville to Blue Ridge, Georgia , and GNRR freight running south of there. TVRM also handles freight. On TVRM's Chattanooga Division, there is one industry, Allied Metals. TVRM handles switching operations, under the wholly owned subsidiary Tyner Terminal Railway Company, at Enterprise South Industrial Park (ESIP), location of

441-410: Is undergoing restoration as well. Other projects move in and out of the shop as needed as well as routine inspections on the museum's steam locomotives. 630's 10-year-long restoration was the most extensive restoration ever performed at TVRM, as well as one of the most extensive steam locomotive repairs in the United States since the end of steam on the railroads. TVRM has been a prime movie spot since

490-545: The American Federation of Labor . After a visit to Toronto where he saw parades celebrating labor that May, had put forward the initial proposal in the spring of 1882. According to McGuire, on May 8, 1882, he made a proposition to the fledgling Central Labor Union in New York City that a day be set aside for a "general holiday for the laboring classes". According to McGuire he further recommended that

539-684: The Fourth of July and Thanksgiving public holidays. Labor Day picnics and other public gatherings frequently featured speeches by prominent labor leaders. In 1909, the American Federation of Labor convention designated the Sunday preceding Labor Day as "Labor Sunday", to be dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement. This secondary date failed to gain significant traction in popular culture, although some churches continue to acknowledge it. The popularity of

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588-601: The Haymarket affair , which occurred in Chicago, Illinois , from May 1 – May 4, 1886. 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. Alternative accounts of the event's origin exist. Descendants of two men with similar last names claim their great-grandfather

637-820: The Hiwassee River and through the Hiwassee Gorge to Farner, just short of the North Carolina state line. Full-day trips turn south, stopping at lunchtime in the twin towns of Copperhill, Tennessee and McCaysville, Georgia , and returning in the afternoon. This route is that of the former Atlanta, Knoxville and Northern Railway and is also called the Hiwassee Route. The remainder of the AK&;N (later L&N and then CSX) line in Georgia

686-550: The Labor Day weekend of 2011. Norfolk Southern Railway also debuted their new steam excursion program during the event until 2015. Today, TVRM continues to run trains including local freight service. Visitors can take a one-hour 6-mile (9.7 km) round-trip ride, which is often pulled by a steam locomotive. In addition, most weekends from April until November offer excursion trains, at times pulled by steam locomotives. In 2004, TVRM began providing half-day excursion trains to

735-602: The National Hot Rod Association hold their finals of the NHRA U.S. Nationals drag race that weekend. Labor Day is the middle point between weeks one and two of the U.S. Open tennis championships , held in Flushing Meadows , New York. In fashion, Labor Day is (or was) considered the last day when it is acceptable to wear white or seersucker . The source of the tradition lies in part with

784-619: The National Park Service and Amtrak and other organizations and companies in the rail industry. In 2008, participants toured Steamtown's roundhouse and shops, operating some of the shop machinery. The youth also visited Amtrak's massive Wilmington, Delaware , maintenance facility, where they went inside locomotives and met with Amtrak employees to learn about railroad careers. One participant wrote afterwards in Trains magazine that, "The experience truly increased my respect for

833-530: The National Park Service , offering high school youth hands-on experience in the railroad industry. The NRHS was formed in Baltimore, Maryland , on August 18, 1935, when railfans from Lancaster, Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Trenton, New Jersey , and New York City gathered there for a farewell excursion on the then soon-to-be-abandoned Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway . Officers from railfan clubs in those cities decided to merge and form

882-525: The National Railway Bulletin , a bimonthly membership newsletter containing articles, photos, and news about railroads, both past and present, as well as coverage of local chapter activities. The organization began a "Railway Heritage Grants Program" in 1991, to provide financial grants to "organizations that educate, publish, and preserve railroad history to benefit future generations", according to an NRHS news release. As described by

931-532: The New Hope Valley Railway . Labor Day This is an accepted version of this page Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements in the United States . Beginning in the late 19th century, as

980-690: The Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant . Even though there are no major industries along the Hiwassee Division, TVRM has the capability to store several hundred cars at the Copperhill yard for other railroads. TVRM has a working locomotive and car repair shop complex, Soule Shops, named after co-founder, Robert M. Soule, Jr. In March 2011, TVRM completed restoring Southern Railway Ks-1 class 2-8-0 630 to operational status. In September 2014, TVRM completed

1029-441: The rule of law . Labor Day is called the "unofficial end of summer" because it marks the end of the U.S. culture's nominal summer season. Of the 7% of Americans who take two-week vacations, many take their vacations during the two weeks ending Labor Day weekend. Many fall activities, such as school and sports (particularly football ), begin about this time. In the United States, many school districts resume classes around

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1078-614: The trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. "Labor Day" was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor , which organized the first parade in New York City . In 1887, Oregon was the first state of the United States to make it an official public holiday . By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty states in

1127-722: The 1920s. The TVRM was named to the National Register of Historic Places on August 6, 1980. That was followed during that decade by expansion of the organization, and acquiring more land donated by Southern Railway. During the 1980s, the TVRM gradually added more track and buildings. The Grand Junction Depot, the TVRM Administration Building, and the National Model Railroad Association were starting to take shape during

1176-579: The 4501 was operated throughout the Southern Railway System. After years of hard work and much financial discipline, in 1977 TVRM finally built the long-needed bridge over Tunnel Boulevard. The Southern Railway donated an additional mile and a half (2.4 km) of abandoned rail line. The next major task of the museum was to build the East Chattanooga Depot. This depot is a reconstruction of a typical small town depot of

1225-544: The CLU Matthew Maguire is credited for first proposing that a national Labor Day holiday subsequently be held on the first Monday of each September in the aftermath of this successful public demonstration. An alternative theory maintains that the idea of Labor Day was the brainchild of Peter J. McGuire , a vice president of the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions , which was a predecessor of

1274-565: The Hiwassee Loop, a corkscrew route around Bald Mountain near Farner, Tennessee . These trips run out of the station in downtown Etowah, Tennessee (about an hour's drive (63 miles (101 km)) northeast of Chattanooga). Since this is along the CSX mainline , which is heavily used for freight, a bus takes travelers on a short ride south to Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park to transfer. The 50-mile (80 km) excursion goes east along

1323-603: The Labor Day holiday weekend (see First day of school ). Some begin the week before, making Labor Day weekend the first three-day weekend of the school calendar, while others return the Tuesday following Labor Day. Many districts across the Midwest are opting to begin school after Labor Day. In the U.S. state of Virginia , the amusement park industry has successfully lobbied for legislation requiring most school districts in

1372-526: The NRHS, projects assisted by the Railway Heritage Grants Program "range from refurbishing historic railroad stations and restoring vintage steam locomotives for operating and museum display, to the cataloging and storage of historic railroad archives". The NRHS conducts two week-long "Railcamps" each summer for high school-age youth. The program offers firsthand experience of rail history and operations, offered in partnership with

1421-639: The TVRM received a land donation from the Southern Railway, consisting of a property located in East Chattanooga on North Chamberlain Avenue. This donation included the 986-foot (301 m)-long Whiteside Tunnel and about 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.4 km) of abandoned right-of-way . In 1970, the museum opened a new permanent facility to the public in East Chattanooga. At the time, it had no structures on site. Volunteers had constructed

1470-630: The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum originally stored equipment at the Western Union pole yard, which was located adjacent to the Southern Railway classification yard on Holtzclaw Avenue in East Chattanooga. After the termination of passenger service to the Southern Railway 's Terminal Station in 1971, additional cars and locomotives were stored at this facility in downtown Chattanooga. In 1969,

1519-534: The U.S. officially celebrated Labor Day. Canada's Labour Day is also celebrated on the first Monday of September. More than 150 other countries celebrate International Workers' Day on May 1, the European holiday of May Day . May Day was chosen by the Second International of socialist and communist parties to commemorate the general labor strike in the United States and events leading to

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1568-512: The bill into law on June 28. The federal law, however, 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 United States territories have subsequently made Labor Day a statutory holiday. The date of May 1 (an ancient European folk holiday known as May Day ) emerged in 1886 as an alternative holiday for

1617-416: The celebration of labor, later becoming known as International Workers' Day . The date had its origins at the 1885 convention of the American Federation of Labor, which passed a resolution calling for adoption of the eight-hour day effective May 1, 1886. While negotiation was envisioned for achievement of the shortened work day, use of the strike to enforce this demand was recognized, with May 1 advocated as

1666-756: The decade, as well. At the East Chattanooga facility, a repair shop and a turntable were added to provide facilities for locomotive repair and maintenance. Beginning in the 1990s, TVRM started running trains to the Chattanooga Choo Choo (called the Downtown Arrow , now discontinued) and excursions to Summerville, Georgia on the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway . In 2004, TVRM and the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association partnered in acquiring part of

1715-568: The early 1970s. Several of the rail cars that TVRM owns have been used in movies, i.e. the collection holds the Pullman sleeping car "Clover Colony" that was used in the Marilyn Monroe movie Some Like It Hot , which was filmed in 1959, two years before TVRM started. A partial list of movies and music videos shot with TVRM equipment follows: National Railway Historical Society The National Railway Historical Society ( NRHS )

1764-423: The event should begin with a street parade as a public demonstration of organized labor's solidarity and strength, with the march followed by a picnic, to which participating local unions could sell tickets as a fundraiser. According to McGuire he suggested the first Monday in September as an ideal date for such a public celebration, owing to optimum weather and the date's place on the calendar, sitting midway between

1813-556: The event spread across the country. In 1887, Oregon became the first state of the United States to make Labor Day an official public holiday . By 1894, thirty U.S. states were already officially celebrating Labor Day. In that year, shortly after the Pullman Strike , the Congress passed a bill recognizing the first Monday of September as Labor Day and making it an official federal holiday . President Grover Cleveland signed

1862-480: The former L&N Hook and Eye line between Etowah (Gee Creek, Tennessee) and Copperhill . Since then, the new Hiwassee River Rail Adventures have been a popular addition to the railroad. With the success of the Hiwassee trips, TVRM created two distinct operating divisions: the Chattanooga and Hiwassee divisions. Crews and sometimes equipment are often switched between the two. The museum celebrated 50 years during

1911-851: The holiday. One reason given for this timing was to allow time for schoolchildren to show 4-H projects at the Fair. In U.S. sports, Labor Day weekend marks the beginning of many fall sports. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teams usually play their first games that weekend, and the National Football League (NFL) traditionally play their kickoff game the Thursday following Labor Day. The Southern 500 NASCAR auto race has been held on Labor Day weekend at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina from 1950 to 2003 and since 2015. At Indianapolis Raceway Park ,

1960-619: The men and women who ... care for these huge machines." Typically, local NRHS chapters concentrate on railroad history in their specific geographic area. For example, Mid-Atlantic Region chapters are particularly interested in such lines as the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , the Pennsylvania Railroad , the Western Maryland Railway , and the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad , all of which once operated in

2009-472: The migration of wealthy 19th century New Yorkers back from their summer-home Newport Mansions and accompanying change back from summer clothes. The traditional last day to wear straw hats moved from around Labor Day (September 1) to September 15. In 1922, the Straw Hat Riot broke out due to gangs snatching the hats of men violating this rule in New York City. The unofficial beginning of summer, and

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2058-584: The region. In addition to the study and preservation of railroad artifacts, NRHS chapter activities may include periodic excursions using historic railroad equipment, such as steam locomotives . Some chapters are involved in restoration of rail equipment and structures . Others operate rail museums or own locomotives, such as the Central New York Chapter's two former Pennsylvania Railroad EMD E8 diesel locomotives . A few chapters even own and operate entire short-line railroads , such as

2107-440: The second restoration of Southern Railway Ms class 2-8-2 4501 for another excursion career with Norfolk Southern's 21st Century Steam Excursion Program. At present, 3 passenger cars are undergoing restoration. One is No. 1877, a former Chessie / Chesapeake and Ohio, later Denver & Rio Grande Western round end dome-lounge-observation, being restored from long static condition. Another is 1917 Pullman built office car No 98. The 98

2156-458: The state to have their first day of school after Labor Day, in order to give families another weekend to visit amusement parks in the state. The relevant statute has been nicknamed the " Kings Dominion law" after one such park. This law was repealed in 2019. In the U.S. state of Minnesota , the State Fair ends on Labor Day. Under state law, public schools normally do not begin until after

2205-829: The summer fashion season in the United States, is Memorial Day . In the 2020s, some people have approved of wearing white year-round. There are numerous events and activities organized in major cities. For example, New York offers the Labor Day Carnival , and fireworks over Coney Island. In Washington, one popular event is the Labor Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol featuring the National Symphony Orchestra with free attendance. To take advantage of large numbers of potential customers with time to shop, Labor Day has become an important weekend for discounts and allowances by many retailers in

2254-460: Was built for Baltimore & Ohio President Daniel Willard and after leaving B&O ownership in the 1960s came to TVRM in 1977, having been a fixture ever since, hence the need for a thorough restoration after decades of service. Next is Southern Railway 832, a 52-seat passenger coach built in 1949 by the Budd Company . Along with the 3 passenger cars, 1953 built EMD E8, Southern Railway 6914,

2303-650: Was derived from mainline excursions operated biannually via the Southern Railway's Steam Program. The Southern Railway's Steam Program was created by Paul Merriman and TVRM, after Merriman purchased the former Southern Railway 4501 in 1964 from the Kentucky & Tennessee Railway in Stearns, Kentucky for $ 5,000, equal to $ 49,120 today. By 1966 the 4501 had been restored during a 2-year process, conducted at Lucey Boiler Company in Chattanooga. After many volunteer hours by TVRM members as well as paid Lucey Boiler employee work,

2352-523: Was one of those concerned that a labor holiday on May 1 would tend to become a commemoration of the Haymarket affair and would strengthen socialist and anarchist movements that backed the May 1 commemoration around the globe. In 1887, he publicly supported the September Labor Day holiday as a less inflammatory alternative, formally adopting the date as a United States federal holiday through

2401-420: Was the true father of the holiday. According to one early history of Labor Day, the event originated in connection with a General Assembly of the Knights of Labor convened in New York City in September 1882. In connection with this clandestine Knights assembly, a public parade of various labor organizations was held on September 5 under the auspices of the Central Labor Union (CLU) of New York. Secretary of

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