Caldwell County MO Archives History .....THE FREE BARBEQUE IN HAMILTON IN 1872 
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Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com September 4, 2008, 1:57 pm

THE FREE BARBEQUE IN HAMILTON IN 1872
	Narrators:  C.H. Lampton, Seth Young, Jo Davis and all of Hamilton

     This well known barbeque was held on July 4 1872 in the Enos J. Dudley 
pasture in the southeast part of town, according the above group of 
narrators.  Senator Young was then a young man whose parents had come to 
Hamilton in 1869.  The others were a little younger.  Mr. Young says he helped 
carry the brush which was used to build the arbor to protect the people.  
However the Fourth proved to be one of the coolest days of that summer, and 
the shade was little needed.
     Several beeves and hogs were killed and the meat cooked in great trenches 
all night, the night of the third, but at that, some of the meat was quite 
raw, when served.  The people ate it anyway, it was all free and they "licked 
the platter clean."  The bread supply was exhausted and members of the 
committee in charge consisting of James M. Kemper (father of Wm. T. of K.C.), 
M.A. Low, John F. Spratt and others came down town and bought all the crackers 
in the stores and restaurants and all these were served when the bread was 
gone.
     The program consisted of the reading of the Declaration of Independence, 
a speech by a Mr. Evans of St. Joseph (whom they recalled as a polished 
gentleman and fine orator) and a race on Dudley's quarter mile track.  Sam 
Buster of west of town then a young man, rode Bald Hornet and Louis Champlin 
was the other rider, the name of his horse being forgotten.  Buster was rather 
heavy while Champlin was slighter and his horse won, much to the delight of 
the elder Champlin who had been urging his boy and horse with all the might of 
his lungs.
     The Hamilton Silver Cornet Band furnished the music and the celebration 
was a gala event, one to be commented on for years so no wonder, it is so well 
recalled after 63 years today.  They still recalled the almost raw condition 
of some of the meat and the earth which clung to it sometimes even after it 
was put on the table.  Joe Davis too recalled that every bit of the semi-raw 
meat was consumed.  Eva Glasener then a very small girl braced herself against 
the race track fence and watched the race.  Mrs. Elizabeth Dawson, was there 
with her husband.  The barbeque idea was a new one to her, although they had 
been here in the "west" for a year and a half from Pa.  Her slice of meat was 
well done, taken from the outside, but she recalls seeing the bloody parts in 
the inner portions.
     At the ball game which followed, Harry Lampton was an interested 
spectator, but Hamilton lost.
     Interview  1934.


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