Speaking of Washington Prairie, its first Fourth of July ought always to be known as the dav of its birth. As the national day for 1852 approached, patriotic feelings swelled in the breasts of its pioneers and a few made arrangements to properly celebrate the day. I took a yoke of oxen and went out north where there were some pine trees (on the Trout river blufifs). I cut two, drew them home and pealed them. A Norwegian blacksmith out north made me two rings with which I spliced the pole, which made it from si.xty to seventy feet high. We went over to Moneek and got some red and white cloth and a yard of blue, and our sewing circle of mothers and sisters made a fine flag, the first that ever floated over Washington Prairie and probably the first in the county. My brothers and I took our oxen and hauled the liljerty pole upon the ridge southwest of Levi Hubbells place, dug a pit and trench and got everything ready for the eventful day. The Fourth came bright, clear, beautiful. Aly brother and I, John McKay, and a Mr. White, and a few others whose names I do not remember, met to celebrate the day. We raised the pole, ran up the flag amid much cheering and enthusiasm, though we had no brass band or booming cannon, and one proposed Now let us name our beautiful prairie, Washington Prairie; three cheers for the birth of Washington Prairie, by which it will ever be known, and may God bless her. And 1 believe He has, abundantly. In a footnote to this article the editor of the Standard adds : Geo. W. McKay tells us that, as a boy, he was one of the party that helped get the trees for the pole ; and that the ox team belonged to Dwight Rathbun, and that members of the Walter Rathbun, Alanson Loomis, and perhaps John Bateman families took a part; and he is under the impression that the Norwegian black- smith was Hans Olson or Hans Patterson.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 22:38:04 +0000
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