Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-10-19
THE OLDEN TIME
First Fourth Of July in Missouri
Valley

First Fourth Of July In Missouri;
Valley
Sometimes it is we'll to review
the past and refresh the mem
ory of the years that take us
back to the early years of our
history as a town, and live over
in memory the days that have
passed, never to return.
We came to Missouri Valley
in June 1868, and issued the
first issue of the Harrisonian,
(now the Times,) on July 3rd,
1 1868.
The people of the Valley had
concluded to celebrate our Ma
tional Birthday, and a public
meeting was called to determine
the matter, and as the town
was small, and several other To-
cations in the county were pre-
pairing to celebrate, our citizens
concluded to make ours rather
a local affair, and therefore, on
ly prepared for a small gather
ling of the people, but as this
was the first public celebration
by the Valley, the people of the
county naturally concluded this
would be a grand affair, and so
concluded to celebrate with the
people of the Valley.
The day opened bright and
clear, and soon the people of the
surrounding country began to
arrive in wagons, .buggies, horse
back and on foot, and by ten
o'clock a. M, about twelve hum
dred people had arrived and all
came to spend the day. Here
was a quandary. How to feed
the throng on the provision in
tended only for our home peo-
pie. The comittee Of arrange
ment held a hurried consulta-
tion, and a messenger was or
dered to proceed at once to buy
all the bread, crackers. cheese,
and bologna SAUSAGE in the city,
and still the supply was very
scant.
At 1O:3O the grand procession
was formed on 9Th street, and
headed by brass band, proceed
ed to Snyder's grove, north of
town, where a stand had been
erected for the officers and the
singers for the occasion. On
the stand were DR.. Geo. H. Nc
Gavren, Pres. of the Day,
Rev. Snyder, of the Christian
Church, Chaplain.
Scott Justice. Reader of the
Declaration of independence.
D. M. Harris, Orator,
Ladies of the Choir.
But while the ordinary cere-
mony at the stand was being
transacted, a lot of boys had
concluded their chance. if they
waited for the second table,
would be very slim, so they
made a charge on the table in a
run, and as they passed. each
snatched a portion from the ia
bles, and soon the tables resem-
bled a Jap camp after the Rus
sian soldiers had supped in it.
To say all up to the dinner
hour was a success does not do
full justice to the occasion, but
when dinner was called, many
were led to ask: "Who's been
here since I've been gone," and
none can answer better than
young America" who charged
upon the tables.
The procession was reformed
and marched back to town to
witness the march of the ragged
militia. Soon they appeared as
the "rag-tag-and- -bob-tail" COM
pany, and of all hard looking
men and horses that company
took the cake, and we have all
ways suspicioned them of being
the same chaps that robbed the
tables at the grove.
After the march of the ragged
militia, and the din of their
horns and bells and the shouts
Of the throng had died away,
many found their way down to
whisky row." where some par
ties had concluded to settle a
long standing grudge by a re-
sort to a contest "at arms" For
a time things went lively, and
Sixth street presented the ap-
pearance of western threshing