It is during the first few days of summer that I spoke with a very dear friend. She is in fact a dear friend, a relative and an ally, for we both enjoy the subject of history immensely. As we enjoy a very cold glass of ice tea on this very warm day we also enjoyed a discussion regarding the upcoming Fourth of July holiday and what it means to both of us.
My mutual historian is 98-year-old Sylvia Racine Spain King. She was born here in Concord on October 1, 1921, in our the village of Fosterville. She was actually born in the house that her family resided in Fosterville, along North State Street, the building which she was born in housed multiple families and was formerly known as the Tahanto School, prior to being converted into residential housing. Today the location serves as the parking lot for Granite State Health Foods, but over a century ago the Tahanto School yard was filled with the joyous screams of our ancestors.
Sylvia shared her early memories of Independence Day celebrations with me. As I sipped my cold glass of ice tea and listened to Sylvia, my imagination transported me back to a time when people were very appreciative for the simple pleasures in life, especially a festive celebration where patriotism was aglow.
We celebrate every year, the Fourth of July or Independence Day, depending on preference. We enjoy a long weekend, time with family, barbecues and laziness. Most years we see the fireworks in vibrant colors over Memorial Field. This patriotic celebration brings all of us back to the American Revolution. Prior to the Revolutionary War there were celebrations held in the American Colonies where the King’s birthday was celebrated with the colonist ringing bells, setting bonfires, processions and speeches. The people wanted to please the King so the participation was grand in those early years of settlement in North America. As the years progressed and the war began, the same colonists continued to celebrate in contrast by holding mock funerals for the King of England to show the end of British rule in America. Philadelphia actually held the first annual organized celebration in honor of our independence on July 4, 1777, while our Congress was still involved with the ongoing war with Britain. During this celebration in Philadelphia ships anchored fired a 13-gun salute in recognition of the thirteen colonies.
At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War we find Americans celebrating our independence from England where many politicians provided speeches and represented their political parties. As the first years of independence progressed and the War of 1812 brought America back to war with the British there was a surge of patriotism once again that culminated with very robust Fourth of July celebrations all of the country. In 1870, the United States Congress made July 4 a federal holiday and in 1941 a provision granted a paid holiday to all federal employees. The early history of politicians providing speeches progressively declined over the years while Independence Day remained both popular and patriotic.
As I speak with Sylvia over my third glass of cold ice tea I feel honored and very patriotic. As Sylvia prepares to celebrate her 99th birthday this fall she speaks of a Concord from the past. She speaks about my parents, my grandparents and even my great grandparents as if they are relaxing on their front porches on North State Street under an American flag fluttering on this hot summer day. She speaks about her early years when the children of Concord awaited anxiously for the grand Independence Day celebration in Concord. She would walk to Farnum’s Orchard and pick blueberries, clean them and then go door to door to sell them to her neighbors. This provided a small amount of money to be spent wisely on an ice-cream bar to be enjoyed during the fireworks. On July 3, the children in Fosterville would gather anything that would burn; old tree branches, leaves, discarded wood and even old tires. They would spend their pre celebration day in the park at Fosterville building a large pile for the annual Fourth of July bonfire. The children of Concord would hold a parade with the girls decorating their doll carriages and the boys decorating their bikes, cheering parents would line the street and enjoy this simple pleasure. As the shadows grew long on the Fourth of July, Sylvia and her friends would gather and embrace the approaching night. They piled into her uncle’s car and rode to the Concord Airport where the grandest fireworks celebration was held each Fourth of July to celebrate the independence of each and every American.
As the rockets exploded over Concord, Sylvia would reach into her pocket to retrieve the Buffalo Nickel that she earned selling blueberries from Farnum’s Orchard. She would approach the ice-cream vendor and make her annual selection from his cart, until next year.
Sylvia and I hope each and every one of you enjoy a patriotic evening as you celebrate our Independence Day this year. Please be safe and remember the celebrations from our past. God Bless America.