Editor's note: News Line provides answers to questions about what's going on in northeastern South Dakota. The question - which might have been edited - was either recently called in to the American News News Line or was generated from discussions American News employees are hearing around town. Q. What is the history behind Labor Day? A. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the first Labor Day holiday was celebrated Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. Five years later, Oregon was the first state to pass a law adopting the holiday. On June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. Labor Day "constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country," according to the U.S. Department of Labor. For more information, visit www.dol.gov. When you have a question for News Line, give us a call at (605) 226-1600, ext. 403. Or e-mail us at email@example.com. All questions must include a name and telephone number. We'll research answers and print them, or if the topic merits a full story, we'll look into that. News Line answers regularly appear in the Tuesday through Saturday editions of the American News. If you would like to view previous News Line answers, visit the Web site www.aberdeennews.com. Click on "News" and then "News Line."