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Show wm “DHE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 11 July 15, 2006 Fourth of July in Eden —The early years By Clyde W. Lindsay The Fourth of July was always a day of celebration in the early days. Huntsville, Eden, and Liberty made the surrounding hills echo with sound as all three towns shot cannons off at sunrise At 10:00 a.m. observers smiled in excitement as the parade, which had been under preparation for months, started up in the Eden town square. First came the Marshall of the Day on a prancing saddle horse, followed by “Uncle Sam” dressed in red, white, and blue. Third came the Goddess of Liberty, one of our loveliest girls, riding on a decorated float. Next came the Original Thirteen Colonies, represented by thirteen couples on top of saddle horses, each carrying a banner of one of the colonies, and ane with Virginia and ending with The girls wore long skirts and rode side- cide their escorts rode a matching horse and wore dark suits and high hats. A soldier troop with a drum band came next in line, followed by a group of Indians from the reservations dressed in their colorful regalia. I wish I could recall all the parade numbers; somewhere there was a George Washington on a white charger, and a brass band. e parade circled the town square—a plot of ten acres in the center of town. Brigham Young had laid out our town along with hundreds of others in the state of Utah lho. He had instructed each town to leave the center square as a recreation park. Our Fourth of July celebration had its programs, games, and races in the square. A bowery was the temporary gathering place. It was built of long posts set in the ground, which supported a roof of poles, upon which many loads of green willows had been placed for shade. Usually two sides of the bowery were shaded by standing the longer willows on end. Seats of rough lumber filled the place and a raised floor at the end served as the stand upon which the presiding officers, parade performers, and visiting dignitaries sal The Marshall of the Day conducted the program, which consisted of music by the brass band, singing by the town choir, and musical selections by the town’s best soloists and musicians. Of course, the Orator of the Day gave the stirring story of the colonies’ struggle for independence. The town’s best reader recited Declaration of Independence. The comic of the town, who had been Uncle Sam in the parade, put on a comic skit. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all. After everyone joined together in singing the Star-Spangled Banner, the town patriarch offered a stirring prayer of thanks and gratitude. This was the signal for mothers to round-up their families, spread quilts on the grass, and unpack the delicious food and drink they had prepared for a picnic. The next event was the races. Everyone participated in the races and everybody won a prize. There were sack races, three-legged races, fat women’s race, fat men’s race, and children’s races according to sex, age, and size. There were boy’s races, young men’s races, and then married men’s races. Toward the end, there was the well-known race between the fleetest married man and the fastest single man. In 1897, when I was ten years old, I remember a race event that involved my father. Just as the tryout for married and single men was being run off, my father W.J. Lindsay came up on a saddle horse. As the crowd saw Daddy stop at the hitching post, the cry went up, “Why there’s Walt! Let’s get him in. He can out-run any of us.” He had been up to the Liberty place to turn the water, so he had on rubber wading boots, and said he couldn’t run in them. But the crowd of married men insisted that he try out for first place in his stocking feet. Well, he won in the tryout and, in a short time, had him dressed for the race The Lindsays were all excited. Some small bets were placed as the single young man was a high school champion. All other events stopped for the big foot race. Daddy Lindsay won the one-hundred yard event. He also played second base on the married men’s team in the baseball game. The horse race brought out the town’s best saddle horses. Every quarter of town had its favorite. Compared to the trained race horse of today, the Valley ponies were of poor quality, but no race ever gave the onlookers more thrills than this. During the afternoon there was a children’s dance in the hall over the store. The day’s end was not yet here, however. Of course, the chores had to be done, so while the mothers tended the children, the men and boys returned to their ranches to milk the cows, feed the calves and pigs, and gather the eggs. All returned for the big dance at 8:30 p.m. Everybody came, young and old, and everybody danced—square dances, waltzes, polkas, and mixers—until midnight. Many love matches were made at these dances. s I look back on these early-day celebrations, I recall that we spent only a few nickels for ice cream and sodas, and twentyfive cents for the dance. Those were truly the best days of my life. I then compare those memories with the commercialized races, movies, bars, and super restaurants that are central figures in our holidays today. I’m sad to see that we have lost the art of true celebration. Liberty Park is looking for community minded individuals to join the Liberty Park Committee. If interested please call 745-1176. @ RED DOG. RED DOG GRILLE .. COMFORT COOKING... COUNTRY SERVICE Now Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Deli Counter & Take-Away Meals, Soda & Ice Cream Fountain Accounts of July 4 Celebration from 1917 Note: The following articles were printed in the “Ogden Standard” consecutively on July 3, 4, and 5, 1917. articles were submitted by Erma Wilson of Huntsville. Huntsville Gives a Hearty Welcome Home-Comers Eden General Store 801-745-2400 to July 3, 1917 The memory of Utah’s first school teacher was honored at Huntsville yesterday when the residents of Ogden Valley, together with many former residents of that community, unveiled a monument to Mary Jane Dilworth Hammond. The monument, which is a solid block of native stone six fe prominent site on the grounds of the public school at Huntsville. The exercises marking the unveiling and dedication of the monument featured the secday of Huntsville’s home coming and Fourth of July celebration, which will continue over Wednesday. As the opening day of the celebration, special religious services were held in the meeting house Sunday. Scores of former residents of the valley have already arrived and many others are expected for the Fourth of July demonstration. Many former residents of Huntsville and the valley took part in the “Old Timers” meeting held in the chapel Monday morning. win ‘behalf of the people of Ogden valley, the monument was presented by Thomas E. McKay. The response was by Mrs. Elizabeth Hayward of Salt Lake, state president of the Daughters of the Pioneers, who complimented the residents of Huntsville for having been the first to honor the memory of Utah’s first school teacher. Others who CELEBRATION cont. on page 12 Historical Photo EE sia ees 4m ’ t 4 Z 4 , $24 jd E F A group of Piute Indians. Photo courtesy of Beverly Burnett Stringham. Ogden Valley Cheer Clinic Do you have spirit? Do you like to jump and kick? Come join a summer cheer clinic. Wednesday Nights at Eden Park running from the end of July to the middle of August. Ages 3 - 12 Tuition is $35 (includes a T-shirt and medallion.) Call Shantel to register at 801-940-6516. Please let us know if you are interested in Jazz Dance, Hip-Hop, or Clogging. GRILLE 5510 E. 2200 N. Eden, UT. 84310 The address of welcome was delivered by Patriarch David McKay, the oldest living resident of Huntsville. Among the former resident who spoke were John W. Blair o Helmville, Mont.; Edward H. Anderson of Salt Lake City, and David A. Nelson of San Francisco. School Teacher’s Monument The exercises at which the Hammond monument was unveiled were held on the school goa g during the afternoon. It had been planned for Mrs. Moselle Hammond Halls of Mancos, Colo., to take part, but owing to the Flood which washed out the Denver & Rio Grande railroad she was unable to be present. arrive before Wednesday. The program also included W. W. Riter, Salt Lake banker and one of the first seven pupils taught by Mrs. Hammond in a tent schoolhouse at Salt ae ou he was detained by important STOP BACK PAIN...NOW! New Medical Technology Treats Herniated and Degenerative Discs without Surgery! Effective back therapy as reported on the ABC, NBC & CBS news. FORT SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN! | Pioneer Skills and Crafts Day Fair * July 24, 2006 Following the Pioneer Days Parade until 4:00 p.m. Kids Games - sack races, three-legged races, tug-o-war, scavenger hunt, etc. Ole Time Music - Food Vendors and Craft Demonstrators from the 1800's. Including weavers, lace makers, blacksmith, sheep shearers, spinners, wheelwrights, tatter, chair caners, cobblers, old coin collectors, and more! $2.00 per person $10.00 per family (up to 8 members) For more information, call Terri at 801-399-8491. herniated, posterior B After f \ y de y : pe \ h greater than 50% reduction in the size and extent of herniations. 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