Plumas County CA Archives History - Books .....Historical Reminiscences - The Centennial In Quincy 1882 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 4, 2006, 10:27 pm Book Title: Illustrated History Of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties THE CENTENNIAL IN QUINCY. Tuesday, the fourth of July, 1876, the one-hundredth anniversary of the nation's birth was a great day in Quincy. The following account of the celebration is condensed from the columns of the Plumas National: Great preparations had been under way for several weeks, and as the day drew near, the excitement among all classes became too intense to be restrained. On Sunday and Monday large delegations from almost every part of the county commenced pouring into town, and it seemed for a while that the accommodations prepared would be entirely inadequate to the necessities of the occasion. Indian valley was well represented; the North Fork region came to the front in large numbers; the Spanish Ranch, Meadow Valley, and East Branch people were almost all on hand; and Nelson, Sawpit, and La Porte were out in force. Many of our Sierra county neighbors also came over to celebrate with us. The Gibsonville band, with our old townsman Mr. D. C. Hall as leader, arrived on Monday evening, and as they drove into Main street their splendid music thrilled every heart with the feeling that the great day had come. The band boys were greeted with a salute from the cannon. The town was gayly decorated with flags and streamers, and a fine, shady arbor had been erected in front of the court-house. The committees had been busy, and everything was in readiness for the exercises on the morrow. At four o'clock on Tuesday the cannon's loud thunder awoke the sleepers, and proclaimed the centennial. At eight o'clock the assembly for parade commenced, and by nine the procession had been formed and was ready to move. Major Whitlock, of Greenville, acted as marshal of the day, and was ably seconded by Hon. B. W. Barnes, of La Porte, and Mr. A. J. Gould, of this place. The procession was formed as follows: 1st. Gibsonville band. Next to the band came a pony-car carrying Master Clarence Kellogg and Miss Gracie Goodwin, the representatives of George and Martha Washington. They were handsomely attired in the style of '76, and supported their assumed characters with a gravity of deportment and demeanor highly interesting and amusing. Following this was a large car-wagon, neatly decorated, containing fourteen young ladies representing Columbia and the thirteen original states. They were beautifully dressed in white, and crowned with the name of the state which each had been chosen to represent. The car was drawn by four large horses, and made a fine appearance. Next was a very large six-horse car, decorated with evergreens and flags, and containing twenty-four little girls dressed to represent the states admitted since the adoption of the constitution. The children were beautifully attired in red, white, and blue, and the car formed one of the most interesting features of the procession. Next came a large number of boys, bearing flags, representing the different towns in the county. Following them were the Odd Fellows in full regalia, and behind them the carriage containing the president of the day, orator, reader of the declaration, and reader of the poems. After them came the people generally, marching two and two. The procession was quite a long one, and probably would have contained many more but for the extreme heat of the day. The procession moved around the town in the order previously arranged by the committee, and entered the court-house grounds by the gate on Jackson street. The representatives of state were greeted on their arrival at the platform by "Hail Columbia," finely rendered by the Quincy choir. The spacious arbor was by this time completely filled, some seven or eight hundred persons having gathered to listen to the exercises. President G. W. Meylert opened the exercises by a very appropriate and patriotic introductory speech of five minutes' duration, closing by introducing the reader of the declaration, Mr. D. L. Haun. Mr. Haun rendered the grand old note of defiance in a forcible and effective manner. He was followed by the National air, "Star Spangled Banner," by representatives of states. Miss Jennie Wheeler, who had been appointed to read the poem written for the occasion by Hon. C. C. Goodwin of Virginia City, Nevada, was next introduced. The poem is certainly a splendid effort, highly spoken of by every one who was fortunate enough to listen to it. Miss Wheeler's reading was praiseworthy in the extreme. She seemed to have the "Spirit of '76" in full measure, and we are safe in hazarding the assertion that in no place in the state was the poem of the day rendered in better style. The poem was unusually interesting from the fact that the talented author was long a resident of Plumas county; and hosts of his old-time friends recalled pleasant memories as they listened to the beautiful and patriotic measures. At the conclusion another stirring piece of music by the band, and Miss Wheeler again took her place to read a beautiful little poem, contributed to the celebration by a miner poet in one of our neighboring towns. It is a splendid production, well worthy a place in the centennial collection of poems. More music by the band; and then the president introduced the orator of the day, Hon. Charles A. Sumner of San Francisco. The general verdict was that it was a grand effort, and in every way worthy of the day. Some of his pictures of the old continental times were beautiful in the extreme; and towards the close, the excitement and enthusiasm aroused in the minds of his audience were intense. He closed with a beautiful poem. Following the oration was the song "America," and after more music by the band, the assemblage dispersed. After noon a pleasant musical entertainment was given at the town hall, under the direction of the ladies, and passed off agreeably. The celebration was concluded by a pyrotechnical display in the evening, and a dance at the Plumas House that continued until the next morning. The closing stanza of Mr. Goodwin's poem, which was a scholarly and elaborate production, will give a good idea of the whole: "So from these hills, these altars grand, we may prefer this prayer; God of our fathers! keep this land forever in thy care; Keep over it our holy flag, with stars increasing bright, The Nation's radiant guide by day, its lamp of light by night; Keep pure and leal our maids and wives, our men keep brave and true; Keep thou our sages strong and wise, and as the years renew The generations on our shores, may they increase in might Until immovable in power, invincible for right, When next there solemn rings the peals to mark a century fled, Standing before the living and above the mighty dead; The men of that day shall behold a nation of such grace As ne'er before in splendor woke a smile of earth's sad face; A nation held by justice up, whose soil by peace is trod; Where Freedom's temples shed their rays sweet as the smile of God." The other poem referred to as the work of a miner poet is dated at Franklin Hill, June, 1876, and entitled, "Our Country—July 4, 1876." Though not showing the literary culture and scholarly grace of the other, it breathes fourth a more fervid and patriotic feeling, and is full of rhythm and music. It contains seven stanzas, the first two of which are given: "Minstrels ! awaken the harp from its slumber! Strike for our birthright so glorious and free! O, listen and hear ye the jubilant thunder Echoing afar o'er the land and the sea. With holy emotion, With fervid devotion, Our hearts loudly beat for the land of our birth; Respond, O ye shores, to the song of the ocean, And chant out our glory and pride to the earth. "While our eyes fondly rest on thy banner of glory, The bold stars and stripes unfurled to the breeze, Proudly we point to the page of thy story, When God from on high sent the angel of peace. While gratefully bending, Our thanks are ascending, For the great boon of freedom our heroes have won, And with our thanks a deep prayer is blending, For the people and land of great Washington." Additional Comments: Extracted from: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties San Francisco: Fariss & Smith (1882) File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ca/plumas/history/1882/illustra/historic113nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 9.0 Kb