Oregon was the first U.S. state to officially recognize Labor Day as a legal holiday.
Oregon enacted its Labor Day legislation on February 21, 1887. That action came only a few years after the first known Labor Day parade in New York City, showing how quickly the idea spread beyond its original setting.
Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York also recognized the holiday during the late 1880s. These state observances helped build political support for nationwide recognition.
Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, after Congress passed legislation and President Grover Cleveland signed it. The federal law fixed the holiday on the first Monday of September, a date that remains standard in the United States. Oregon’s early recognition is sometimes confused with New York’s role in hosting the first parade, but those are different milestones.