Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-07-04
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tire Tines on July ,"l, 1868.
The people of the Valley had
tional Birthday, and a public
meeting was called to determine
the matter, and as the town was
small, and seevral other locations
in the county were preparing to
celebrate, our citizens concluded
to make ours rather a local af-
fair, and therefore, only prepared
for a small gathering of people.
but as this was the first public
celebration by the Valley, the peo-
pie of the county naturally con-
cluded this would be a grand af-
fair, and so concluded to celebrate
with the people in the Valley.
The day opened bright and clear,
and soon the people of the sur
grounding country began to ar
rive in wagons, buggies, horse
| back and on foot, and by ten
| O'Clock a. m. about twelve hun
| dred people had arrived and all
came to spend the day. Here was a
quandry. How to feed the throng
on the provision intended only
| for our home people. The COM
1 mittee on arrangement held a
! hurried consultation, and a mes
scnger was ordered to proceed at
once to buy all the bread, crack
crs, cheese, and bologna sausage
| in the city, and still the supply
was very scant.
At 1880 the grand procession
was formed on 9th street, and
headed by brass band, proceed
ed to Snyder's grove, north of
town, where stand had been
erected for the officers and the
singers for the occasion. On the
stand were DR.. Geo. H. McGavren,
Pres. of the Day.
Rev. Snyder, of the Christian
Church, Chaplain.
Scott Justice, Reader of the
Declaration of Independence.
| d. NJ. Harris, Orator.
Ladies of the Choir.
| But while the ordinary cere-
mony at the stand was being tran
| sacted, lot of boys had seen
their chance, if they waited for
the second table, would be slim,
$50 they made charge on the
table in run, and as they passed,
each snatched a portion from the
tables, and soon the tables re-
sembled Jap camp after the
Russian soldiers had supped in
it.
To say all up to the dinner hour
was 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
have been gone,' and none can
answer better than young Amer
ica' who charged upon the tables.
| The procession was reformed,
and marched back to town to wit
ness the march on the ragged
militia, and the din of their horns,
rag tag -and-bob- tail'' company
and of all hard looking men and
horses that company took the
cake, and we have always sus-
lpicioned 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 the shouts Of the throng had
died away, many found their way
down to "whiskey row." where
some parties had concluded to
settle long standing grudge by
a resort to contest "at arms
For time things went lively, and
Sixth street presented the ap-
pearance of a western threshing
camp, but victory came and "all
was quiet again on the Potomac
In the evening, Satt Clark, sta
tion agent at the C. & N. w. depot,
opened up his arbor, just south of
the railroad, a large arbor nicely
floored, and lit up by head lights,
with Fields band of Go. Bluffs,
furnishing the music, where
about fifty couple enjoyed them
| selves until a late hour, or more
properly speaking, until an early
hour. And with the close of the
arbor dance, closed the first
Fourth of July Celebrations in
Missouri Valley 81 years ago.
of those who participated in that
first celebration have passed on,
some rest in the city of the dead
on the hill, while few are still
here and will remember that first
celebration in this city.
D. M. H.