Evening star., 1933-07-04
MODERN ''FOURTH' CELEBRATION
JUST AS GLORIOUS AS OF OLD
More Noise in Firecracker Days, Records
of Evening Star of 1880 Reveal, But
Patriotism No Greater.

Community Center Department, aided
BY merchants and othsSS in the city,
carried the burden Of the expense for
the celebration, the sum being aug
mented in 1925 by the sale Of seats In
the stadium made possible by the in
terest in the fireworks display there.
In 1925, the annual celebration be-
came Of national importance, and much
more elaborate preparations were made
and carried out in honor Of the 150th
anniversary Of the Declaration Of Inde-
Center Department, the city undertook
. magnificent display Of fireworks at
the Monument, and an inspirational his
torical pageant at the Capitol. The
celebration cost approximately $4,000.
TWO thousand persons participated in
the pageantry. and 10000 persons wit
messed the celebration.
First at Sylvan Theater.
It was in 1927 that, for the fsst
time. the official ceremonies of the
4th Of July took place at the Sylvan
Theater In the Washington Monument
Grounds. for which funds were raised
by popular subscription. The following
year Q928) fireworks and oratory were
the features Of the Sylvan Theater pro-
gram. 1t was about this time that the
department and the Citizens Committee
found it increasingly difficult to raise
required funds for the celebration by
public subscription. Not even the prom
ise OF big airplane demonstration and
mock battle of air forces achieved the
amount needed without great difficulty
The program in 1929 was more wide
spread. It offered program devoted to
games and sports, climaxed by a vast
torchlight procession Of patriotic bodies
at the Sylvan Theater, and a night air
raid staged by the District Of Columbia
National Guard and the United States
Army.
But although the success Of the an
nual celebration was greater each year,
as planned by the Community Center
and the Citizens Committee, the system
OF raising the needed funds for the
celebration by means Of popular sub
scription had to be abandoned, and in
1880 group Of patriotic citizens Or
ganized the National Capital Civic
Fund, designed to support all civic cele-
brationS, as well as recreational, educa-
tional and athletic activities of the
District Of Columbia, organized and
carried out according to custom, with
the approval Of the District of Colum-
bia officials.
In that year, the 4th Of July Citizens
Committee. acting with the Community
Center Department, and supported by
the National Capital Civic Fund, erected
a grandstand at the Monument for the
fireworks display, for which tickets were
sold at minimum prices to cover all ex-
penses Of the celebration. This plan,
successfully carried out was followed in
1881 and 1882, when it was estimated
that the crowd attending the July
ceremonies at the Sylvan Theater and
the fireworks display at the Monument
was the largest in the history Of such
celebrations in the Capital City.
Outstanding citizens have headed the
committee from time to time, among
them being E. c. Snyder, Isaac Cans,
Gen. Anton Stephen, E. F. Colladay,
E. J. Murphy and Thomas p Littlepage.
The director Of the Community Center
Department Is always the executive sec
retary of the committee for the celebra-
ton, and under her supervision the
Community Center Department attends
to the countless details incident to the
successful elimination Of Independence
day plans. Upon the Communit Center
director devolves the duty'of originating
and carrying forward the plans for
each years celebration with the advice
and consent of the Citizens Committee.
Since 1881, Mrs. Elizabeth K. Peoples,
as director of the Community Center
Department, has headed this civic work