From my "HOLIDAYS" folder in the Hamilton Township Public Library Local History Collection, this splendid 1869 engraving of the celebration of the 4th of July in the country. From one of my "HARPER'S WEEKLY" magazines. Here's wishing everyone a happy and safe 4th!
Hoping you had a splendid Fourth of July!
ReplyDeleteEach year in eary July we rode bikes across the free bridge to the wilds of Morrisville. If I recall, we took the first left after the bridge, and went one or two blocks south. On this street many enterprising locals had display tables set up that had items we waited for all year. Caps, sparklers, snakes (that you lit with a match) and all manner of other things. We'd spend maybe 4, 5 or even 6 dollars for contraband to bring back to the Burg where it was all illegal. We had some in our group that would go down to Florida and get firecrackers, cherry bombs and the bigger things that we used to call blockbusters. And what better place fire off all this material than the schoolyards that were out of session for the Summer.
We felt much like the characters in Jean Shepard's short feature, "The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters." Truly wonderful times!