Buffalo County, Nebraska - Chapter 27, 1916

Chapter 27

FIRST FOURTH OF JULY PICNIC, 1872 - HELD IN DUGDALE GROVE - SUNDAY SCHOOLS FROM BUFFALO AND HALL COUNTIES PARTICIPATE - 5OO CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE - SAMUEL B. LOWELL, PRESIDENT COL. H. D. NILES DELIVERS THE ORATION

Prof. D. B. Worley In Charge Of Music First Fourth Of July Picnic

The day was ushered in by the booming of a big cotton wood log and the ringing of bells. It was one of those beautiful days only to be seen in Nebraska. The Sunday schools of Gibbon and Wood River Union (Centre Township) and their friends assembled at the schoolhouse in Gibbon at 11 A. M., where conveyances were ready, for all who wished to participate, for the grove, situated about four miles east of town on grounds owned by Henry Dugdale. On arrival at the grove, we found it a cool and delightful place on the banks of Wood River, carefully cleaned of underbrush and fitted up with seats, swings, rostrum, etc. District No. i and Wood River Station (Hall County) schools were already on the ground. After a short time spent in preparation, the different schools, headed by their superintendents, marched into the grove, the Wood River School first, numbering sixty members and bearing a banner trimmed with colored rosettes and ribbon streamers. The center was the figure of an eagle of beautiful needle work, bearing in its beak a scroll inscribed with the national motto, "E Pluribus Unum." This banner was the work of Japanese men and was presented to the school by Doctor Patterson. Rufus Mitchell was superintendent of this school. Next in the procession came District No. i School numbering 115 members with Rev. J. N. Allen as superintendent. Then came the Gibbon School, 150 members, bearing a banner inscribed "Gibbon Sunday School" and on the reverse side "Holy Bible," the banner trimmed with evergreen, Rev. O. A. Buzzell superintendent. Last came the Wood River Union School, sixty-five members, carrying the Stars and Stripes, and a plain banner with the inscription "Union Sunday School" and on the reverse "God is Love," W. H. Kinney, superintendent.

The assemblage was called to order by the president of the day, S. B. Lowell. Rev. Wm. Morse offered an appropriate and impressive prayer. The audience then sang the national hymn, "America," led by Prof. D. B. Worley, who presided at the organ, this followed by the reading of the immortal declaration of independence by Rev. J. J. W. Place. The remaining exercises were as follows:

Samuel B. Lowell

The afternoon exercises consisted of a musical selection by Prof. D. B. Worley; an address by Rev. J. N. Allen and recitations by :\Iisses Edith George, Flora Sprague, Carrie Alarsh and Flossie Day. * * * It would have taken a great stretch of the imagination to have pictured to the mind the scene which actually took place on the Fourth at Dugdale's Grove. Not less than five hundred children assembled and singing praises to God where eighteen months before the wild Indians roamed at pleasure and herds of bufifalo occupied the very grounds the picnic was held on. It shows with what a bound civilization has advanced over the prairies of Nebraska within a short period of time. May the children who took part in the first celebration of our national holiday in Buffalo County live to see many more such.