The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-07-08
Twenty-Five Years Ago
From the Register

Prof. r. F. Kerr and Col. p. {,
Murphy returned from trip to Sioux
Falls on Thursday.
The assessor has just about com
pleted his work for this year and i'll
forms the Register that our popula'
tion is 1850.
Hugh II. West arrived from Nashua,
Iowa, Wednesday and will visit his
parents and other relatives here dur
ing the summer
DR.. w. s. Bentley of Gary, a gradu.
ate of the S. d. A. c., and DR.. Ashton
of Milbank, were in the city Thursday
and Friday visiting friends and view
ing the college.
Mr.. and Mrs. ~ E. Carnine are en-,
joying a visit from Miss Dora Kessler
of Lebanon, Ind, who arrived in the
city Friday. Miss Kessler is a sister
of Mr.. Carnine.
Mrs. Geo. Stoddart returned Satur-
day evening from visit at Black
Earth Wis. She was accompanied by
Mr.. Stoddart's sister, Miss Agnes, who
will make an extended visit here.
Mrs. Ed Killing, accompanied by
her son and daughter, arrived from
Napervile, H., Wednesday and will
visit Mr.. and Mrs Fred Killing in
Alton township for few weeks
The First Celebration
The first 4th of July celebration in
Brookings county was held at Medary
in 1874, twenty-one years ago. The
regulation committees were appointed
to arrange for the event. The COM
mittee on music was composed of Mrs.
H. H. Avery, Mrs. Lattimer (now Mrs.
Roddle of wisconsin,, Rev. Codington
and wife, VIM. Ames and Leander
Ames.
Rev. G.. A. Codington, a Congrega-
tional missionary acted as orator OF
the day He was the first missionary
north of Sioux Falls and had perma-
nent residence at Medary.
There was a goodly number present
and the picnic dinner was spread in
C. H. Stearns' grove. 1t was well ar
ranged and as replete with delicacies
as could be at the present time.
OF course a flag was necessary for
the occasion. A committee of ladies
was appointed consisting of Mrs. Lati-
mer, Mrs. Avery and Mrs. Jas. HauX-
hurst, to procure material and make
the stars and stripes" The commit
tee succeeded in finding two Of the de-
sired colors, white and blue, but no
red. One of the ladies however, had
a red skirt and that was used TO com
plete the flag This flag now is in the
possession of II. |. Stearns Of Brook.
ings and will have prominent place
in the procession next Thursday at
the celebration in this city.
On the morning of the 4th the Cul-
bertson boys brought thier father 5
anvil from home, a distance of two
miles, intending to arrive at Medary
before any of the town people were
awake and give them a shake up with
a sunrise salute, but in this they We're
disappointed, the village folks We're
all astir and the flag was being raised.
The salute, however, was fired when
the flag was in position and James
Natesta, who was keeping store two
miles up the river in the solitude of
bachelOrdom thought the boys were
loading their Shot guns pretty heavy.
1t is estimated that there were fully
hundred persons present, among
whom were Z. p. Smith and family,
W. H. Harvey and family, II. /.
Stearns, c. II. Stearns, n. Culbertson,
W. T. Culbertson, A. p Culbertson,
j NJ. Culbertson, Morgan Lattimer,
the Trygstads and their families, the
Peterson family, James Natesta, Mrs
COdington and others whose names We
cannot recall.
A dance was held at Johnson's hall
in the evening. This hall was a log
building, 14X16 feet, and covered with
a sod roof The musicians were James
Natesta and A. p. Culbertson. first and
second violins
This closed the first celebration in
Brookings county. There were no
horse races or other sports but gen
eral good time.
Wv. s. s.