The History of Memorial Day

According to West Virginia Public Radio's, Inside Appalachia, "Townsfolk in Fairmont credit Julia Pierpont as the founder of Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day. As the wife of Restored Virginia Governor Francis Pierpont, Julia was upset with the condition of the graves of the Civil War's Union soldiers and resolved to change the situation. You won't find any mention of Pierpont on the Web however."