Fulton residents and Westminster officials celebrated Independence Day in 1853 by laying the cornerstone for the original Westminster Hall on the College’s Hill. Photo courtesy of the Callaway County Historical Society.
As the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence approaches, communities across the nation are preparing celebrations. Some events will be steeped in tradition, while others will introduce new ideas that may become traditions of their own.
Here in Fulton, the semiquincentennial celebration carries added significance because Westminster College is celebrating its 175th anniversary as well.
During this year’s celebration, I will represent Westminster as a new employee of the College, driving a convertible and carrying local alumni from the Class of 1976.
The History of Fulton’s Fourth of July Parade
According to the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society, one of the earliest Fourth of July parades in Fulton took place in 1853. The celebration drew an estimated 3,000 people who formed a grand procession, marching from downtown Fulton to Westminster for the laying of the cornerstone of Westminster Hall.
Later Independence Day celebrations took place on State Route F, west of Fulton, at a private residence known as Reeds Lake, owned by Jake Reed. These gatherings often included speeches, readings of the Declaration of Independence and local parades organized by fire companies and fraternal organizations. When Reeds Lake was sold in the 1960s, those celebrations came to an end.
Nearly 50 years later, the Fulton Fourth of July Parade was proposed to city officials in 2011.
“It was started by some guys who served in the military and didn’t want to ignore our country’s birthday,” David Beaver said. “Tom Maupin (Maupin Funeral Home), Steve Moore (Fulton City Councilman) and I were talking one day. We realized we were basically doing nothing to celebrate our country’s birthday.”
The first David Beaver Memorial Fourth of July Parade took place on July 4, 2012. Since then, it has grown steadily and become a local tradition. Each grand marshal has been a veteran or group of veterans. Local organizations participate with marching bands, horses and mules, classic cars, floats, tractors and off-road vehicles. Local politicians walk the route as well, handing out campaign information.
Memories of the Spirit of ’76 Bicentennial Celebration
This will be the second major national anniversary observance I have experienced. The first was the Spirit of ’76 Bicentennial Celebration in 1976, when I was 15 years old.
It seemed as though the entire country had caught celebration fever. Homes were decorated with red, white and blue bunting and streamers. Fire hydrants were painted in patriotic colors, and some were even decorated to resemble Revolutionary War soldiers. Automakers introduced bicentennial editions featuring red, white and blue paint schemes and interiors.
Large cities hosted grand celebrations that included fireworks, parades and orchestras. I believe that was the first time I was introduced to the Boston Pops and its famous Fourth of July musical extravaganza.
My family was never big on setting off fireworks ourselves, but for the 1976 celebration, we invited neighbors and extended family over for a barbecue and fireworks display. We shot so many fireworks that the air became smoky, as though a fog had rolled in.
Each year, the Fulton Country Club hosted a fireworks show. Families parked as close as possible to watch the display. My family had befriended three local Westminster students, and they spent a great deal of time with us. Every Fourth of July, we barbecued chicken and pork steaks and served potato salad, sliced tomatoes, coleslaw, baked beans, corn on the cob and homemade ice cream. It became a tradition to take several cars to the fireworks show so our “adopted” students could join us and celebrate as part of the family.
The 250th birthday celebration seems to be more low-key than the bicentennial celebration of 1976. Missouri’s 250th Birthday Committee is encouraging residents to mark the occasion by planting red, white and blue flowers in their gardens and on their porches.
Conceivably, this is a reflection of how celebrations change over time. Some generations paint fire hydrants, decorate entire neighborhoods and stage grand public events. Others honor the nation’s birthday in quieter ways.
Whether it is a parade through downtown Fulton, a family barbecue, a fireworks display or a pot of patriotic flowers on the porch, the important thing is remembering the ideals that brought the nation into existence 250 years ago — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — and passing those traditions on to the next generation.
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