July 4th, also known as INDEPENDENCE DAY, is celebrated each year because it marks the day in 1776, when the Second Continental Congress UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED the “Declaration of Independence,” officially separating the 13 Original Colonies from Great Britain (England as many of us simply say) during the Revolutionary War.
Considering this as America’s Birthday, it makes us 245 years old this year! Some records show that folks in Philadelphia marked the 1st Anniversary with a celebration; however, sometime after the War of 1812, it appears that celebrations on July 4 became widespread across our Nation.
June 28, 1870—Congress passed a law that made Independence Day a Federal Holiday, and, as most know, the occasion is usually celebrated in some way(s) that involve parades, “red, white, and blue,” fireworks/crackers, parties, and various “eating” gatherings.
Thomas Jefferson was not the only “author” of the Declaration; a five-person committee was appointed by the Continental Congress, and the members were Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, and, of course, Thomas Jefferson.
July 2, 1776—Independence formally declared
July 4, 1776—Declaration’s final text approved by Congress
August 2, 1776—Signing of the Declaration by 56 men; oldest was Benjamin Franklin at 70 years; youngest were Thomas Lynch, Jr. and Edward Rutledge, both 26 years
Records indicate that 2.5 million people lived in America in 1776, and more than 332 million now!
*MY RECOLLECTIONS* I remember that when I was a small child, Dad would go out to the plowed garden area and set “good-sized” stick rockets into the loose soil and light them. Man, would they go high! We also had Roman candles that he held and colorful fountains. Mom, Ann, and I were always cautioned to stay back out of harm’s way. As I got a little older, various folks from our neighborhood on Maple Street would join together and “pool” the fireworks. We “kids” always liked the sparklers and “lady finger” firecrackers and large sparkly silver “cracker balls” about the sizes of small plums or large cherries. We had to throw them down hard onto concrete to get them to “pop.” And, we had other “more dangerous” fireworks that the adults shot while we watched. Then, we nearly always had home-made ice cream—vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and peach—and home-made cookies!
As I got older, I remember sometimes being with Uncles/Aunts/Cousins for the celebrations—never really called 4th of July, just, “Are you Texans coming to celebrate the “4th” with us Okies?” The men (and boys who thought they were men) would sein one of the creeks nearby, and then use the crawdads and minnows for bait to catch bigger fish from the “pond” if we had not seined out enough to eat from the creek! I remember the 1st time I thought I was old enough to go out into the creek and help hold the net and was doing great until the big men at each end held the whole “shooting match” up to see what we had—and there were a giant snapping turtle and two big snakes. I was finished for that day, to say the least!
And, oh, my, we ate and ate and could drink as much “pop” as we wanted, because this was a “special occasion”—Grapette, Nehi orange, RC cola, Hire’s root beer—and the men drank “real beer.” And my Grandmas and Aunts COULD COOK, and Uncle Leonard could make the greatest, smokiest hamburgers in his cooker with “soaked hickory wood” on top of the coals!
Then, to conclude the night after we had shot all types of firecrackers and fireworks, even some “expensive high dollar” ones that Uncle Martin had sent for out of state, we “kids” would go up the stairs inside while the adults were still outside telling stories about the “olden days” and also some adult jokes, and we would climb out the window on the “far side” of the house and lie carefully on the wood-shingled roof, and tell ghost stories and look for “shooting stars.” I was amazed when one time I heard Grandma and my Mom talking about how “the kids don’t even have a clue that we know they get up on the roof!”
Also, as I became early high school aged, we would invite several families from Hope Lutheran Church on Day Street and later Peavy Road in Dallas to come to our house in Forney and to bring their fireworks and home-made ice cream and various cakes and pies and cookies and hot dogs, because their neighborhoods had rules against shooting fireworks in those areas, and we, in Forney had a nice policeman, named Bondie Richman, who let us pop firecrackers as long as we did not get too rowdy or bother neighbors too much. Most of my Dallas friends quite often voiced wishing to live in Forney!
Fast-forward to July 4, 2021, and my day began with attending Sunday School and Worship Services at Water of Life Lutheran Church, where we had a wonderful service, which included some familiar hymns—”O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” “God Bless Our Native Land”—and had prayers for our Nation and our Leaders. I went home blessed and inspired (remembering our Pastor’s closing words that “Our Country may have a few problems, but we still have the greatest one in the world and should thank God every day that we live here.”) and helped Vivian with finishing touches on our preparations for the “Family 4th of July get-to-gether,” which began with appetizers and “catch-up visiting” and then dinner/supper of two types of bar-b-cue, prepared by Waylon Themer, and also various other dishes, mainly prepared by Vivian, with additional items brought in by our various Hood and Themer family members—especially deserts and other sweets, including cast iron skillet brownies (Vivian’s secret recipe).
Then, it was out to the back patio and yard area for fireworks, firecrackers, sack races, water balloons and sodas, (a visit to see the turtles), and much hilarity! The little “kids” and the big children (adults) all had great times, and even the old geezers felt young again.
Finally, as darkness arrived about 8:45 or 9:00 p. m., it was out to the front yard to watch all the neighboring fireworks shows and to also put on our own, with fireworks provided by Weston and Waylon Themer mainly! Other than mosquitoes fighting through the repellent and invading open skin, the night was so enjoyable and came to an end too quickly, as Waylon tuned in the “blue tube” to patriotic songs, some of which we joined in, esp. “Proud to be an American” by Lee Greenwood and the Toby Keith hit with the title I just never can remember!
Getting close to midnight, the Themer clan said “fond farewells” after a brief clean-up, and all slept well in “the land of the free and the home of the brave!”
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.