iday ▁in ▁America . ▁They ▁un cover ed ▁evidence ▁that ▁the ▁origin ▁story ▁is ▁a ▁ho ax ▁including ▁information ▁ignored ▁by ▁the ▁Cent enn ial ▁Committee ▁backing ▁the ▁pro clam ation . ▁This ▁includes ▁a ▁report ▁in ▁a ▁New ▁York ▁newspaper ▁that ▁pred ates ▁by ▁several ▁years ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁sources ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁committee . ▁It ▁describes , ▁in ▁detail , ▁Water lo o ' s ▁first ▁Memorial ▁Day ▁and ▁places ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 . ▁They ▁also ▁note ▁other ▁incons isten cies ▁between ▁the ▁historical ▁record ▁and ▁the ▁story ▁compiled ▁by ▁the ▁Cent enn ial ▁Committee ▁and ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁discussion ▁or ▁debate ▁in ▁Congress ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁resolution ▁recogn izing ▁Water lo o ▁as ▁the ▁birth place ▁of ▁the ▁hol iday . ▁ ▁Geography ▁Water lo o ▁is ▁located ▁at ▁ ▁( 4 2 . 9 0 3 6 9 7 , ▁- 7 6 . 8 5 9 5 1 7 ). ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁village ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁ 2 . 2   square ▁miles ▁( 5 . 6   km ² ), ▁of ▁which , ▁ 2 . 1   square ▁miles ▁( 5 . 4   km ² ) ▁of ▁it ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁ 0 . 1   square ▁miles ▁( 0 . 2   km ² ) ▁of ▁it ▁( 3 . 2 4 %) ▁is ▁water . ▁ ▁The ▁Sen eca ▁River / C ay uga - S en eca ▁Canal