| The Palo Alto History Project |
| The Fourth of July University Avenue |
| 2006 |
| The Fourth of July: Summertime Celebrations Patriotism in our country was different a century ago. It’s not so much that there is less love of country today, but the nature of that feeling has changed a great deal. It seems we are more critical, more cynical --- arguably more grown up --- in our allegiance to the nation these days. There is less of a wide-eyed devotion. While there were certainly detractors of the government back in the early 1900s, the overall level of trust that Americans had in the nation and its leaders was much higher a century ago. Indeed in that time, there seemed to be a presumption among most Americans that our country was always a force for good. Today, it seems we’re often not so sure. Such confidence lasted well into the 1960s as Ike and Kennedy led the nation through prosperous years fighting the Red Menace at home and abroad. Polls showed that trust in government as late as 1966 was still close to 70%. Enter Vietnam. America’s questionable mission in Southeast Asia greatly eradicated the public trust, as many began to wonder who the bad guys really were. The publishing of the Pentagon Papers and other insider intelligence seemed to show that the government was more than capable of bold-faced lies. The civil rights movement was also a wake-up call to many Americans living in the glow of the 1950s --- for it was now all too apparent that not everyone had been living the American Dream. Then came the mother of all government deceptions --- Watergate. In the past 25 years, the Iran-Contra cover-up, the Lewinski affair and the futile search for WMD in Iraq have further added to the skepticism. Today, just 25% of Americans say they trust their government. It seems national patriotism and support for those who are running things are now two very different animals. But a look back at American society a century ago shows a more innocent brand of patriotism --- indeed, a more innocent society. For evidence, one can look back at the Independence Day celebrations around the turn of the century. For instance, in our city of Palo Alto, July 4th was always a very big deal. And during three summers in particular --- 1895, 1901 and 1904 --- the city really pulled out all the stops. The enormous scale of these events was quite remarkable. For a town founded in just 1894, the July 4th celebrations were quite ambitious, drawing thousands of out-of-towners to Palo Alto. They were all-day affairs, beginning with the singing of the national anthem and the ceremonial firing of the “National Salute” by two cannons at daybreak. The 1904 celebration included a giant parade that stretched more than a mile, commencing at 11 o’clock with the explosion of 10,000 powder firecrackers. Holding one thousand small U.S. flags, the marchers then proceeded through the downtown area past decorated houses and storefronts covered with red, white and blue bunting and patriotic paraphernalia. The parade always included floats, which were particularly involved during the 1895 festivities. On display were celebrations of the Liberty Bell, Uncle Sam, George and Martha Washington and the Goddess of Liberty --- accompanied by 44 little girls representing (what were then) “the several states.” There was also a “Red Man Float” that would certainly not be appropriate today given heightened sensibilities and a more critical examination of our own history. The Palo Alto Times reported that “The members of the various councils were in Indian costume and their appearance and yells carried one back to the earlier days. Following this were a number of half-naked ‘Indian’ lads, a squaw with papoose and other appropriate features.” There were also great bounties of food at the celebrations. Rather than the family BBQs of today’s 4th of July holiday, the 1904 feast was a community event for no less than 5,000 people. It did feature a similar menu, however. Barbecued meats, along with “assorted delicacies,” were laid out at tables under a giant red, white and blue tent assembled near the corner of Ramona and University. The 1901 celebration included a free clam bake in which F.S. Gifford, an old-time New Englander, coordinated the baking of 3,000 clams in a brick-lined pit that was heated by a roaring fire. During the 1904 party the touring Veteran Fireman’s Association of San Francisco was the featured guest. They demonstrated how fire fighting was done in the “olden days” as well as performing their song, “When We Ran with the Old Machine.” Actually, they weren’t kidding --- the old machine, in fact, dated back to 1852. A touching moment also came that year when 500 of the townsmen followed the First Regiment Band in a march to Mrs. Jane Stanford’s house on campus, serenading her with a tribute to her late husband. She would later call it one of the “landmarks of my life.” And of course, the Fourth of July wouldn’t be the same without some exhibition of the national pastime --- especially as baseball was never more popular than at the turn of the century. The 1904 match was staged between the Pacific and Western companies of the Southern Pacific Railroad, while in 1901, clerks had a chance to face their bosses away from the store and out on the diamond. There was also a kind of innocent lack of self-consciousness in those early celebrations that would be hard to imagine today. For instance, patriotic singing was very popular in this time when the local citizen would happily join in a chorus without embarrassment. Along with the Star-Spangled Banner, Palo Altans also belted out “America,” “My Own United States,” “American Republic” and “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean” --- an old hymn that was for some time in competition to become our official national anthem. The festivities also featured a trained orator’s reading of the Declaration of Independence and a speech from a senator or another dignitary. In 1895, Dr. Charles Decker rang in the day by exclaiming that “Today from every pulpit, glad, happy people sing their anthems of joy... All the States of the Union have donned their holiday attire and Palo Alto…will permit no locality to out-shine her in her offerings and her enthusiastic display of National love.” There were also lots of games --- not just for the kids, but for the adults as well. These days, it would be a little hard to imagine downtown businessmen participating in the “Fat Man’s Race,” “Doughnut-Eating Contest,” or “Three-Legged Pursuit,” but it was common in that time. In fact, J.F. Parkinson, future Palo Alto mayor, was the 1901 Fat Man’s champ, taking home a coveted box of cigars. Of course, it’s even harder to imagine the merchants of today queuing up to catch a greased pig, which the 1901 program described as taking place following the animal’s “proper lubrication.” The event always proved popular because, the reward for catching the pig was, in fact, the pig itself. There were also non-athletic contests. One particular favorite was the “Parade of Horribles,” a July 4th tradition across the country in those days, in which locals would dress up in comically grotesque costumes. There were also prizes awarded for “Best Decorated Bike” and “Best Gentleman Waltzer,” although the contests for “Homeliest Woman on the Grounds” and “Best Looking Girl under 14 Years” would probably be left off the program today. During the 1904 holiday, the evening’s festivities would not conclude until one in the morning. Before that was the grand ball, an illuminated bicycle parade, the firing of another 25,000 fireworks and a midnight supper served at two downtown hotels. Only then was it time to say goodnight to Uncle Sam, having likely fulfilled Dr. Decker’s prediction that “Palo Alto…will permit no locality to out-shine her in her offerings and her enthusiastic display of National love.” -Matt Bowling |
| An invitation to the celebration of Independence Day in 1904. (PAHA) |
| A parade on Fourth of July early in the Century --- probably during the 1904 festivities. (PAHA) |
| Sources: Palo Alto Times, Palo Alto Weekly, Palo Alto Historical Association, Wikipedia |
| A program from the literary exercises during the 1901 celebration. (PAHA) |
| This is an exterior view of Palo Alto's City Hall where the early Palo Alto fire station is. (PAHA) |
| A Board of Trade rbbon from the 4th of July celebration in 1904. (PAHA) |
| A ribbon from the 4th of July celebration in 1904. (PAHA) |
| "Palo Alto used to have a lengthy fireworks display out past the Duck Pond. Families would drive out and park and watch the fireworks being set off. One year, about 1970 or so, the fireworks started very late - -- clearly there was some technical hangup. Then there was one firework shot off, and another long delay. Then --- kaboom! --- every single firework scheduled for the evening went off at once, in a cataclysmic, out of control display. After a long period of silence, everyone went home. Although there may have been one or two more years where they did fireworks out there, I never went to another 4th of July Fireworks celebration, anywhere. Why bother? It would never be better than that." -Corry |
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