Column

Saturday, we celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial, more commonly referred to as the America 250 celebration, marking the day, July 4, 1776, when members of the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence.

While the observance has received some attention in the months and weeks leading up to the date, it does not compare to America’s Bicentennial celebration when we marked the nation’s 200th birthday in 1976.

During the 1950’s and ’60’s post-war Americans were thinking mostly about the future and very little about the past. Everything had to be new and modern. Old things were torn down and thrown away. People knew where their ancestors were from, but little more.

The Bicentennial changed that. People discovered the history of their village or town and, personally, more about their own ancestors. History became cool.

People started seeing the advantages and necessity of preserving the past, restoring historical buildings and sites rather than tearing them down in the name of progress.

I was news director at WKEI when press releases began coming out in mid-1974 from the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, created by Congress, and its Illinois counterpart directing communities big and small to begin making plans for a nationwide celebration that would extend from July 5, 1975 to July 4, 1976.

Everyone was encouraged to research the personal and community history with a goal of creating a sense of pride and appreciation for American traditions, origins and values. The war in Vietnam had just ended and the timing was perfect.

Committees were formed on the local and county level and planning began.

Before 1976 almost every community had an unofficial historian, usually an older person who had lived there a long time.

In Toulon it was Ben Parker; in Galva, George Swank; in Sheffield, Peg Schmitt; in Atkinson, Bill Freddy; and in Kewanee, Bob Richards.

Kewanee got off to an early start, forming a Kewanee Bicentennial Committee in January of 1975. Fred Stahl, from Black Hawk East, and Rev. Glenn Stand, were named co-chairmen of a group which included representatives of more than 20 community, government and other organizations, according to a story in the local newspaper.

One of the first things planned was the renaming of East Park as Veterans Memorial Park. Harrold Monning of the U.S.S. Kiss Assoc. had plans to place a ship’s anchor, a torpedo, and a memorial to the destroyers lost in World War II.

Rosemary Kuster, a farm wife who lived east of town, formed a foundation to restore and preserve the historic and all-but-forgotten home of eccentric inventor Fred Francis. The signature event was the establishment of an annual ethnic food fair to be held every Fourth of July in the Park.

Booths were set up serving Polish, German, African-American, Swedish, Belgian and other foods highlighting the nationalities represented in Kewanee. Planners were encouraged to hold new events on July 4, 1975 as a rehearsal for the main event the following year.

Hooppole Fun Day, Lafayette Reunion Day and Atkinson Heritage Day were among the annual events which had their beginning as part of the American Bicentennial. Some are still being held, others faded away over the past 50 years.

Next came the creation of local historical societies, like the one in Kewanee in November of 1976, followed later by museums.

The national obsession with the “Roots” TV series in January of 1977 also kindled people’s interest in their ancestors, who they were, where they were from and what they did. Eventually, commercial avenues were provided by such online sites as Ancestry and 23andMe.

People can now see the importance of knowing more about our past as a guide to our future and ways are found to preserve buildings like Ryan’s Round Barn and Francis’ Woodland Palace rather than letting them crumble into dust.

The time we live in is far different than the mid-70s, and that might explain, in part, why the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is more subdued and may not have the same “all-in-this-together” spirit.

It may also be that 250 is an off year for nationwide birthdays.

The June issue of the Henry County Genealogical Society’s newsletter includes an article by Steve Morrison about the more rambunctious celebration Kewaneeans held for the nation’s 100th birthday in 1876.

Celebrations may also seem more worth celebrating in an even-numbered century, like 100 and 200, and not as noteworthy in the 75th, 125th, or 150th year.

If that’s true, those of you who will still be around in 50 years can look forward to a real whiz bang celebration in 2076!

***Dave Clarke is a local historian, columnist and longtime Kewanee journalist.