The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-07-15
History ofthe
Fourth ofLly
Celebration In
Cambria

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The four great pillars Of Our
American Commonwealth are: The
home, the church, the school and the
state or government.
Each of these institutions Is found.
ed on the principles of liberty and
democracy.
There was a time. and that not
long ago, when the father was the
autocrat of his home and the
VIE and children had put few
privileges and even scant pro-
lection under the law. But there has
status of the family and a selfish,
brutal man can no longer treat his
wife and children as mere slaves or
chattels. The home has become a
democracy and each and every mem
Der has certain in alienahle rights as
to property, and as to physical and
educational opportunities which must
be respected, and which are being
more and more considered.
| Then our American church is a
free church. We have never known
a state church, or experienced any
tyranny. in church matters. Every
person in this land can worship God
according to the dictates of his own
conscience and no one has a man
date over him in the matter of reli-
gious belief.
Then our public schools are great
democratic institutions, where rich
and poor mingle. Free of all political
meated with the most healthy, moral
and social principles and with the
best literary and scientific thought.
| Moreover our government Is the
freest and fairest on earth, respon-
sive, wholly as 1t Is, to the will of
the majority Of all the people at all
times. Every person Of the age Of
discretion, male or female rich or
poor, has an equal voice in the franz
Every existing law that is obnoxi
GUS can at any time be changed, If
the majority So will. and any law
wanted by the majority can be OBJ
tanned by them. Possessed as we are
of such noble institutions it is but
natural and right that we should
cherish them and even sacrifice our
lives for their protection and perpe-
tuity. Our fathers did this In the
civil war, and our sons followed their
example in the late world war. !.
Our ancestors were men and
women of high ideals. They did not
come to this western wilderness
simply for food and Payment or to
hoard money. To exc out an animal
existence was not the height OF their
ambition. They came like the pill
grim fathers to- build an American
life and character patterned after the
principles of Christ No sooner had
they erected a rude cabin to shelter
their heads; than they organized their
churches, their schools, their literary
clubs and their town meetings.
The very first year the Welsh set
tiers located In Judson and vicinity
| they started the celebration of Inde-
pendence Day. This first observance
of our national holiday in this locali-
ty occurred in 1855 at the home of
Hiram Caywood across the EScr from
Judson village. Among those present
on the occasion were the David
Williams family (Bradford), the John
Thomas Y. Davis, Morris Lewis,
David A. Davis and william C. will
Jams and others. Some of the de-
scendants of these first pioneers are
with us today. Having no store
within a hundred miles or more
where they might purchase an Amer
lean flag the girls manufactured one
out of strips of white calico with red
and blue paints. The young men cut
liberty pole in the timber and plant
ing it in front of the cabin raised old
of johnny cake, fried praire chicken,
and wild strawberries. There were
few songs by the young folks,
speeches by William e. Davis and
David ]. Rees and grand tourna-
ment of shooting at mark to end
the festivities. In 1856, 1857 and UNI
til 1852 the Fourth of July was regu-
larly celebrated, except one or two
years when rain interfered, in the
E. Davis here in Cambria. In the
families of DR.. Davis, d. p. Davis,
David J. Davis and others were many
excellent singers and these old cele-
brations did not lack for music.
Among the orators of these old days
were: Evan Jenkins, Rev. Jenkin
Jenkins, DR.. David Davies, Henry
Hughes, David P. Davis and others
and they discussed the slavery ques-
ton. the Temperance question, the
Tobacco question, and Biblical cues
tions. Then came the terrible cata-
clysms of the Civil War and the
Indian massacre. Some of our set
tiers were killed and others scattered
to the four winds. Church and school
buildings were transformed into SOL
dier's barracks, and the very founda-
| lions OF peace life over thrown or
rudely shaken. But with the restora-
ton of peace the exiled inhabitants
returned and homes were re- estab-
lished, churches and schools reopen
ed and the machinery of free munich
pal government again functioned as
before.
About 1870 Rev David M. Jones,
then young man full of energy and
born leader in literary and patrio-
| tic activity, became pastor of Horeb
and Bethel churches. Mainly through
his efforts the fires of patriotism
were rekindled. in the neighborhood.
The first celebration under this new
dispensation was held in 1871. The
place was at the foot of the bluff on
Cambria Creek on the farm of the
late John Shields. Tiers of seats
were cut one above the other in the
steep bluff, and stage put in front
for the officers, the poets. the orators.
the musicians and the dignitaries
after the pattern of an ancient am
phitheater, and the whole canopied
by the overhanging branches of the
forest. The stage was a grain header
rack which Peter Lloyd brought up
from his fathers farm, and admirably
did 1t serve the purpose. It was built