The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-05-29
[ WISCONSIN PIONEER FOURTH
or TTTTY
MoNrPELIER. VI. Anril D.. 1ss5

MONTPELIER, VI, April 81, 1885.
Perhaps brief description of cele
bration of the Fourth of July, 1886, a
henosha, andprobably the first one in th,
territory OF Wisconsin, may not be who'll,
unnteresting to your readers, and espec
, Tally those OF them who were residents o
, the territory at that time and are nov
living. Ishall have to depend wholly on
my memory of the facts and incidents
as an account of it was never published
i We had no newspapers at that time ex.
| cept the Milwaukee Advertiser and possi.
| bly, the Green Bay Advocate, both of which
papers were started about that time. AS
the Fourth of July, 1886, was the day
that our territorial g9vernn1e ns was to 90
INTO operation, and Was also the nation
al anniversary, many ofthe settlers were
III favor of celebrating these events. and
meeting was called at Milan G. Tobey's
hotel to take into consideration the slIb-
Ject of celebrating the day.
Ii was decided to celebrate, and a COM
mlttee ofarrangements were chosen. and
programme of the proceedings made
up. Walter Towsely was appointed
marshal Of the day, and Col. jeremiah
Jordan assistant marshal Reader ofthe
Declaration of Independence, E. d. Put
nam. Reader Of the Act of Congress es-
ta6llshlng a territorial government in
Wisconsin, Carlos Turner. Toast mas
ters. Z. D. Putnam and Jesse M. Sher-
wood. Elder Jason Lathrop was en-
gagged to deliver the grafton. Some of
the committee were in favor of firipg
salute, but 1t was found that no gun could
pc obtained nearer than Chicago, so that
idea was abandoned. But what we're
we to do for music? A celebration with
out either gunpowder or music would
be no celebration at all. That was not
the day OF brass bands, especially in this
new country. So the committee hunt
cd up every man and boy who could
play on any kind of an instrument. and
got together band," which if not one
o. the very best. was probably the most
miscellaneous" of any band before or
since that time. The next thing was to
get up choir. This was not so difficult,
as mere We're many good singers in the
vicinity. Arrangements were made
with Mr.. Tobey to furnish the dinner.
Early on the morning of the 4th the
people began to arrive, and by 10 o'clock
almost everybody within a distance ofl
~ or II miles was there; they came,
some on foot, some on horseback. some
IN ox-wagons, and by every kind of con
yeyance IN use at that time. The set
tiers On what was called Pleasant Prairie
built large wagon body and placed it |
on wheels, and 80 or 40 men, women
and children rode in it to the celebration ::
1t was drawn by Is pairs of large oxen,
each pair representing state, and led |
by small pair ofsteers to represent the
territory of Wisconsin. This was really
one OF the most interesting features Of
the occasion.
AT about II o'clock a procession was
formed at the hotel by the marshals. and
escorted by the "band" to grove at the
north end of the Island, where a stand
had been erected and seats provided
sufficient to seat the whole company.
The proceedings were commenced bv
the choir singing My Country IT'S Of
Thee" followed by prayer by Elder
Lathrop. The declaration Of indepen-
dence was then read, and after singing bv
the choir, Mr.. Turner read the act Of
Congress establishing territorial govern
ment IN Wisconsin. Then followed the
grafton by Elder Lathrop. This was a
line scholarly, production, replete with
patriotic sentiments and strongly recon-
mending the principles of temperance
to the territory. The exercises at the
stand were closed by singing by the choir
Of Hail Columbia"
The procession was reformed and
marched back to the hotel, where tables
had been set near the lake. protected
from the heat of the sun by artificial
shade, and the company sat down to a
dinner such as none but Mr..
and Mrs. Tobey could provide. After
the company had done ample Justice to
the dinner, the toasts We're given by the
toast masters, and were responded to by
hearty cheers by the company, singing
by the choir and music by the band.
After which the company broke up, every
one feeling that they had good time.
Ihere were persons from Chicago, Mil
waukee and Racine. I should estimate
the number present at 400 to 500. re-
greet that | cannot give some of the toasts
and an abstract Of the grafton, but 40
years have obliterated much of it from
my memory. Ed. PUTNAM.