06/18/2026
Father time, Flags of our Fathers, Our Father who art in Heaven, Father Christmas, Our Founding Fathers, Father Knows Best, Father Brown - yes, fathers are everywhere! And rightfully so, with Father’s Day a couple of days hence.
Father’s Day is said to be an American Holiday which has spread around the world, although in European Catholic countries it has been celebrated on March 19th, as Saint Joseph’s Day, since the Middle Ages.
The creation of Father’s Day is credited to Sonora Smart Dodd. Dodd was one of six children, born 1882 in Arkansas on a “coal ranch,” to Ellen Victoria Cheek and William Jackson Smart. Ellen, a widow and mother of three, was William’s second wife, who died in childbirth when Sonora was sixteen. William, a Civil War Veteran, found himself in charge of their fourteen children and dedicated himself to raising them.
On his coal ranch.
What is a “coal ranch,” you ask? Instead of mining for coal, the family “farmed” for coal by collecting chunks of coal found on the property and transporting it to town to sell to residents. “No, officer, I found it!” It was a surprisingly lucrative business, with little likelihood of cave-ins and, when Sonora was five, William sold the property for the princely sum of $5,000, and relocated to Spokane.
Why he did this is not completely clear to our sources. However, he was probably still getting flack from his Arkansas neighbors over his military service. Why? See what you think.
William was born and raised in Arkansas and, therefore, served in the Confederate Army. It seems that, at the Battle of Pea Ridge, he was taken prisoner by Union Soldiers while driving a supply wagon. It further seems that William was flexible, so instead of remaining in a Prisoner of War Camp, he changed sides and fought for the Union. We assume this led to Sonora becoming something of a diplomat, as she became a member of both the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Daughters of Union Veterans. We wish we could get a look in her wardrobe.
Sonora was close to her father and said he was both mother and father to her and her siblings, stating that he was a “great home person.” After learning of Mother’s Day, she decided that Fathers deserved the same recognition as Mothers. So, another “Day” was born.
It took a year to get community support, but in 1910, the first Father’s Day was held. Working with the Spokane Ministerial Alliance, Sonora was hoping to hold it on June 6th, her father’s birthday, but the Ministers who were involved didn’t have enough time to get their sermons in order. Therefore, it was decided to celebrate this occasion on the third Sunday of June. It wasn’t a rousing success at first, as some felt such a holiday wasn’t appropriately “manly.” Yet Sonora persisted.
Like Mother’s Day, it was and is a Sunday holiday, so it is “free” in the budgetary sense, not requiring paid days off for the entire federal workforce. That probably made it an easier sell. Also, like Mother’s Day, it has proven a boon to pharmacies, gas stations, and convenience stores due to panic gift-buying.During a visit to Washington State in 1918, President Woodrow Wilson attended a Father’s Day celebration, while in 1922 President Calvin Coolidge “gave his support” for the holiday and declared the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day. In 1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day, but it wasn’t until 1972 that President Richard Nixon finally made it permanent. Geez, that was a slog.
We did a little search of our local papers to see the first mention of Father’s Day. While we found Children’s Day, Forefather’s Day, Father & Son’s Day and a slew of other “days,” there was not a peep about Father’s Day until the 1930s.
While we all know - if you read our Mother’s Day missive - that carnations of the flower for that day, you may not know that roses are the flower with which we honor our Dads - red if your father is living, white if he has left us - and Osiria if unsure. This might reflect the fact that roses are one of the few flowers most men might be able to pick out of a lineup.
Sonora was said to be an accomplished poet, children’s book author, artist and funeral home director! Her husband, John Bruce Dodd, was founder of Ball and Dodd Funeral homes. They are still in business today - no, not Sonora and John, just the company.
Sonora is said to have been a founding member of almost every civic organization in Spokane. But Father’s Day was her proudest achievement.
It looks like William managed to enjoy nine - possibly ten - Father’s Days before Sonora had to switch to a white rose.
