Celebrating the 4th of July on the 5th

7.2.2023 [archived ~ originally published 7.1.2018]

That’s what happened in 1926.  It was the 150^th year commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence and since the 4^th of July fell on a Sunday, celebrations, including a speech by President Calvin Coolidge, took place on Monday, July 5^th.  

It was Deer River’s turn to host the celebration, and in addition to the traditional annual events, automobile races were added to the schedule. In the early years, Deer River and Bigfork business folks realized that it was mutually beneficial for the two villages to take turns holding the most prominent community event, rather than compete with each other for visitors. In addition to a long day of activities, a good deal of trade was also done.

Of course, in the beginning, Deer River was the only village of any size west or north of Grand Rapids. Back as far as the newspaper was published in 1896, the holiday has been celebrated with firearms at daybreak, and later fireworks, contests, and parades.

In 1908, Deer River advertised a very ambitious program and awarded generously.  The day started with the parade, and the following were awarded prizes of $5-$15:

~ Farmer bringing in largest four-horse load of farmers: H.H. Parmeter and Alf Olson

~ Farmer bringing in the largest two-horse load of farmers: Axel Nyberg

~ Best float: Seaman & Martin

~ Best comical float: A.G. Hachey

~ Best appearing four-horse team: H.H. Parmeter

~ Best appearing two-horse team: James Kendrew

~ Most comical callithumpian: Seaman & Martin [callithumpian – a group of discordant instruments wearing outlandish costumes.]

There was also a baseball game and tug of war between Deer River and Bigfork; foot and horse races; and music and dancing.  Much to the several hundred visitors dismay, fireworks had been cut from the budget. Adjustments were quickly made by some, and they adjourned to Truempler’s farm early in the evening and enjoyed dancing, lunch, beer and ice cream all night.

I am highlighting four memories of the 4^th of July shared by Deer River area people who were born between 1910 and 1925.  They were interviewed in 1996-1997 as part of Deer River’s 100-year history.  The original recordings and transcripts are available from the research library of the Itasca County Historical Society.

Bernard Anderson ~ Max

“That was a big deal.  I remember one occasion at Vance’s Bridge.  They were having a celebration up there, and everybody was coming from all sides for that.  At that time, we had a fellow in the community that had purchased an old Ford truck, it was a newer Ford truck, but it was the old-fashioned one, and he thought he was going to be real generous and give the ladies a real thrill, so said he would take his truck and haul the women up there to Vance’s Bridge for the picnic.

One of the neighbors at that time had a team of horses that were pretty peppy and said he would take all the young men that wanted to go with him and they followed with the team of horses and beat the truck because the women had to get out and push him up the hill every time he came to a hill.  He was getting stuck, and the women had to unload and get behind and push him up the hill.  And then they’d load up again.  So, it was quite a day, but everybody seemed to enjoy their 4^th of July holiday at the big picnic up at Vance’s Bridge.”

Kay (Danielson) Miller ~ Oteneagen

“Getting ready for the 4^th of July was just as much of a deal as going to town. My sister Agnes and I would spend days finding a pair of stockings that matched and get our clothes all lined up. We had to make garters out of elastic. If we woke up and it would be raining on the 4^th of July, we would be just broken hearted. My mother would always say ‘start before 7 it’ll quit before 11.’

After uncle Ob got that phonograph, he would start the Stars Spangled Banner on the Victrola and boom everybody would hit the floor, and we had to stand at attention. He had the flag out already too.”  Albert Pfeil was the younger brother of Marie Danielson, Kay’s mother.  I assume Albert is the uncle she refers to.

Robert McDonald ~ Bowstring

“We had lots of fireworks in those days.  They were still legal, I guess.  I wouldn’t say we had a lot of them, but we had enough anyway.  Mother was always worried we were going to blow our fingers off.  We would get these cannon crackers.  They were pretty good size, and there was quite a bit of powder in them.  Put them under tin cans.  See who could blow the tin can the highest.

We’d be up early in the morning, about daylight.  Dad and mother were a little perturbed because it woke everybody up.  We’d set off the fireworks, and then at night, we’d set off roman candles or sparklers or whatever we have.  But we would save our money up for a long time to get money to buy a few of those things.”

Robert “Babe” Danielson ~ Oteneagen

“I remember we would usually have to spend the first half of the day working in the hay field. You had to get something done in the hay field before we could go. Then we would all pile in the old car.  He had a 1930 Chevy. How do you get a whole bunch in that, you’d be in there like sardines in a can, but it had one of them trunks in the back that would fold down.

So, we would always fold that down. Joe and Ed [older brothers] and one more would have to ride in that trunk. The rest of us would pile into the car. The radiator cap was exposed on the old cars. He had a little outfit that fit around it with five little flags on it. He put that on the 4^th of July. I think that was my job to put that on the old Chevy. Take the radiator cap off and put the flags on.”

I hope you had a chance to light some sparklers and make a few memories of your own!