As the United States of America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday this weekend — with a special “Honor America” event at Memorial Stadium this Saturday evening — some have been recalling the celebration of the U.S. Bicentennial 50 years ago. But this week here at “From the Local History Room,” we will look back even farther into America’s past — back to the American Centennial Year of 1876 — and will recall the way Pekin and Tazewell County celebrated the U.S. Centennial.
Thanks to the Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society, many historic newspapers from Tazewell County are available for researchers. One of Pekin’s leading newspapers at the time of the U.S. Centennial was the Tazewell County Republican, and that newspaper’s issue that was published Friday, 30 June 1876, includes information, on page 3, concerning the big plans that Pekin and Tazewell County had made to celebrate the Centennial on Independence Day, Tuesday, 4 July 1876.
At the top of the front page of the 30 June 1876 Tazewell County Republican, in column 5, we find this notice about President Ulysses S. Grant’s proclamation for Independence Day that year:
“The President has issued a proclamation calling upon the people to unite in their accustomed places of worship on the Fourth of July and render thanks to Almighty God for the protection and bounties he has vouchsafed to our country during the century which is fast drawing to a close.”
On page 3, most of column 1 was taken up by the parade line-up and program of events for Pekin’s celebration of the U.S. Centennial. Here is that article, followed by a complete transcription:
Tazewell County Centennial Celebration at Pekin, July 4th, 1876.
The following programme of order of procession, line of march and order of exercises has been adopted by the committee appointed for that purpose and will be observed:
The procession form in town divisions under the direction of the Marshal of the day and his aids at [9]:30 and will move promptly at 10:30 A. M.
FIRST DIVISION.
The first division will form on George street with its right resting on Court street, in the following order:
- Marshall of the day and his aids.
- Police Force of Pekin.
- Mayor and City Council of Pekin, in carriages.
- County and City Officers, in carriages.
- President of the day, Orator, Historian, and Reader of the Declaration of Independence, in carriage.
- Vice Presidents in carriages and on horse-back.
- The Wonderful Automaton Elephant, “Giasticutus,” surmounted by Gehrig’s Cornet Band.
- Butchers on horseback.
- Masonic Societies.
- Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
- Ancient Order of Druids.
- Ancient Order of Hibernians.
- The Bulletin Steam Printing House on wheels.
- Delegations from the County in carriages and wagons, and on horseback.
SECOND DIVISION.
The Second Division will form on East Washington street, with its right resting on George street, in the following order:
- Assistant Marshal and his aids.
- Delavan Light Guard Band.
- The Pekin Light Artillery, under command of Gen Ed. Wagner.
- Thirteen ladies on horseback representing the original States.
- The Goddess of Liberty and Ship of State drawn by one hundred boys.
- Car containing thirty-eight little girls representing the thirty-eight States.
- Turners.
- Teutonia and Frohsinn Maennerchors.
- Young Men’s Christian Association.
- German Mutual Aid Society
- Pekiner Freie Presse.
- Brother Jonathan as a Photographer.
- Independent Hook and Ladder Company.
- Steam Fire Engine.
- Wide-Awake Fire Company.
- The Green Valley Brass Band.
- Iron Moulders Union.
- Grocers in Wagons.
- Miscellaneous–Headers, Reapers and other farm machinery and displays by our merchants, manufacturers and dealers.
- Delegations from the country and citizens in carriages and wagons, and on horsebacks.
- The Callathumpians.
The delegations from the county arriving from the North and East will join the 1st Division, and those from the South and Southwest will join the 2d Division.
It is earnestly hoped that all who take part in the parade will be in place, so that the procession may move promptly on time.
The line of march will be as follows: From George street down Court street to Second; South to Second street down Court street to Second; South on Second street to Broadway; East on Broadway to Chestnut; South on Chestnut to Winter; East on Winter to Leonard; North on Leonard to Washington; West on Washington to Buena Vista avenue; North on Buena Vista avenue and Fifth street to Catherine; West on Catharine to Second; South on Second to Court; East on Court to the Court House Square, where the following exercises will take place under the direction of the President of the Day:
- Music by Gehrig’s Cornet Band.
- Prayer by Rev. ——
- Music by the Delavan Light Guard Band.
- Singing of the Centennial Hymn.
- Reading of the Declaration of Independence by Capt. W. A. Ross, of Washington.
- Singing of America.
- Oration by Hon. John B. Cohrs, of Pekin.
- Music by the Delavan Light Guard Band.
- Singing of the Star Spangled Banner.
- Reading of Historical Sketch of the County, by Benj. S. Prettyman, Esq.
- Music by Gehrig’s Cornet Band.
- Singing of Hail Columbia.
The Grand Chorus in singing the above hymn will be accompanied by Gehrig’s Band.
At 7 o’clock in the evening there will be a Balloon Ascension and a grand display of Fire Works from a boat anchored on the river at the foot of Court street.
DAVID F. LOWREY, Marshal of the Day.
In addition to the parade line-up and program for Pekin’s Independence Day events, the 30 June 1876 Republican printed six other paragraphs pertaining to preparations for the Centennial celebration. Those paragraphs, interspersed among other news items and advertisements on page 3, are as follows:
“Mrs. Westerman and Mrs. Sellers invite one hundred boys, ranging in years from twelve to fifteen, to report to them at Rose Villa, this evening at six o’clock. Their assistance is very much needed on the coming Fourth of July. Come out, ye young patriots, and swell the big Centennial with your bright and cheery faces. Come one hundred strong.”
“Cut all your flowers, big and little, Monday morning, and have them ready when the Committee calls for them.”
“The Delavan and the Pekin Light Guard band, dressed in full uniforms, will discourse sweet music at the celebration in this city on the Fourth. Let all turn out and hear them.”
“The committee on decoration requests all citizens to turn out with their buggies and carriages and with the same beautifully decorated form into line with the grand and imposing procession on the Fourth.”
“The young Americans of Pekin are just as full of patriotic enthusiasm concerning the approaching Fourth as the older people, and propose to contribute their part toward the proper observance of the day we celebrate. For the purchase of the necessary fireworks, etc., they have in circulation a subscription paper, and we trust they will find no trouble in raising the needed funds. Give the boys a chance.”
“The Committee on Decoration desires, and especially request the citizens of Pekin to decorate their houses on the Fourth of July in such a manner as is appropriate and becoming our great Nation’s day. And more particularly do they request those living on the streets and avenues along the line of march of the Centennial Fourth of July procession. Get out your flags, banners and Hamerican Heagles. See the day programme.”
Printed copies of pages from the 30 June 1876 Tazewell County Republican are currently displayed in the Pekin Public Library’s Local History Room. Also displayed in the Local History Room this month is an 1876-1877 Pekin City Directory that had been owned by Pekin’s pioneer historian William Henry Bates (1840-1930), whose special contribution to the 1876 Centennial Parade was the abovementioned life-size mechanical elephant that he named “Giasticutus.” Bates’ obituary notes, “He was at the fore in all public demonstrations and old-timers still talk about ‘Giasticutus,’ a mechanical elephant Mr. Bates constructed for the Fourth of July parade of 1876.”
