Waynesburg in Greene County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Widely known as the Birthplace of Rain Day
Photographed by Bradley Owen, April 27, 2022
1. Birthplace of Rain Day Marker
Inscription.
Widely known as the Birthplace of Rain Day. . This location was once home to the Allison Building, which housed the J.T. Rogers and Co. Drugstore. In the 1870s, a local farmer remarked to pharmacist William Allison that it always seemed to rain on his birthday, July 29. In 1874, Allison began tracking the weather on that date every year, and a Waynesburg tradition was born. The recordkeeping was inherited by Allison's brother, then by the owners of the Daily and Spragg drugstore, Byron Daily and Carl Spragg. The records were taken over by Daily's son, John, who "bet his hat" with a national or regional celebrity that it would rain. The late newsman John O'Hara helped Rain Day grow to national prominence., The image on this plaque is from a postcard postmarked 1913, and the bricks underneath are from the Allison Building, which was razed in 2013.
This location was once home to the Allison Building, which housed the J.T. Rogers & Co. Drugstore. In the 1870s, a local farmer remarked to pharmacist William Allison that it always seemed to rain on his birthday, July 29. In 1874, Allison began tracking the weather on that date every year, and a Waynesburg tradition was born. The recordkeeping was inherited by Allison's brother, then by the owners of the Daily & Spragg drugstore, Byron Daily and Carl Spragg. The records were taken over by Daily's son, John, who "bet his hat" with a national or regional celebrity that it would rain. The late newsman John O'Hara helped Rain Day grow to national prominence.
The image on this plaque is from a postcard postmarked 1913, and the bricks underneath are from the Allison Building, which was razed in 2013.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is July 29, 1874.
Location. 39° 53.793′ N, 80° 11.17′ W. Marker is in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, in Greene County. It is at the intersection of East High Street (Pennsylvania Route 21) and Church Street, on the right when traveling west on East High Street. Located on the SE corner of the First Federal Savings and Loan building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 45 E High St, Waynesburg PA 15370, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
3. Marker is Included in Part of Waynesburg's Historic District
Credits. This page was last revised on May 17, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 1, 2022, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 496 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on May 1, 2022, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
