Papa Elk
For those who celebrate Father's Day, Happy Father's Day!
Did you know that this special celebration originated in Spokane WA?
Father's Day is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year on June 16th, and it all began when a young woman wanted to honor her dad.
In May of 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Wash., sat in church listening to a Mother's Day sermon. She decided she wanted to designate a day for her dad , William Jackson Smart. Dodd's mother had died in childbirth, and Dodd's father, a Civil War veteran, had taken the responsibility of singlehandedly raising the newborn and his other five children.
The following year, Dodd wanted to celebrate Father's Day on June 5th, her father's birthday, and petitioned for the holiday to be recognized in her city. Needing more time to arrange the festivities, Spokane’s mayor pushed the date back by two weeks, and the first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19th, 1910.
Finally President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers in 1966, but it wasn't until 1972 that President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it a permanent holiday. Since then, Father’s Day has become a time to recognize the many different father figures in our lives.
Thank you Dad!
Papa Elk
For those who celebrate Father's Day, Happy Father's Day!
Did you know that this special celebration originated in Spokane WA?
Father's Day is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year on June 16th, and it all began when a young woman wanted to honor her dad.
In May of 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Wash., sat in church listening to a Mother's Day sermon. She decided she wanted to designate a day for her dad , William Jackson Smart. Dodd's mother had died in childbirth, and Dodd's father, a Civil War veteran, had taken the responsibility of singlehandedly raising the newborn and his other five children.
The following year, Dodd wanted to celebrate Father's Day on June 5th, her father's birthday, and petitioned for the holiday to be recognized in her city. Needing more time to arrange the festivities, Spokane’s mayor pushed the date back by two weeks, and the first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19th, 1910.
Finally President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers in 1966, but it wasn't until 1972 that President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it a permanent holiday. Since then, Father’s Day has become a time to recognize the many different father figures in our lives.
Thank you Dad!