How South Dakota Helped Put Labor Day on the Calendar

The South Dakota Secret Behind Your Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day: the magical Monday where grills get fired up, parades fill small town streets, and football fans pretend the season has already started. For others, it’s the day we practice the ancient art of “lounging in sweatpants.”

But here’s the kicker; if you’re enjoying that day off, you’ve got a South Dakotan to thank. Ever heard of James Kyle? Yeah, most people haven’t. I hadn’t either until I dug into this story. Turns out, the guy basically gifted America a three-day weekend. That’s a legacy worth a bratwurst or two.

Labor Day’s Unsung Hero? A Senator From South Dakota

On August 28, 1893, Senator James Kyle of South Dakota introduced a bill to the U.S. Senate declaring the first Monday in September as Labor Day. Less than a year later, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law. Boom, history made, three day weekend secured.

Kyle explained that workers’ groups wanted one day where everybody could take off at the same time. In other words, no guilt, no excuses, just a nationally approved pause button. Genius.

Fast-forward to today and Labor Day has morphed into “the unofficial end of summer.” It’s a weekend of discount mattress sales, fried food at the South Dakota State Fair, and one last cannonball into the lake before we sink straight into winter.

So, the next time you’re flipping burgers instead of flipping spreadsheets, give a nod to Senator Kyle; the under-celebrated South Dakotan who put Labor Day on your calendar. Without him, you might still be at work wishing you weren’t.