Celebrating 200 Years of America
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Fifty years ago, much of Meeker County, not to mention the entire country, was celebrating the Bicentennial of the United States. Throughout 1976, the Meeker County Bicentennial Committee oversaw and promoted many bicentennial events. Each city in the county had their own bicentennial committee as well.
By far the largest local project undertaken for the celebration of America’s
200th anniversary was the building of the Forest City Stockade. It was truly a community project. A donation of $6.40 would purchase a log for the stockade, or one could donate their own 14-foot, oak log. The first log was placed in November 1975, and work was completed the following summer.
About 1,000 people attended the stockade’s dedication in September 1976, causing what the newspaper called Forest City’s first traffic jam. The program included music and speeches, and the stockade was called the most “outstanding bicentennial project in Minnesota.”
Another large-scale event was “For God and Country,” a musical production that included hundreds of band members, high school students, and church choir members from across the county. At the Meeker County Fair, an entire building was set aside for communities and individuals to show off their bicentennial activities and events.
Additional celebrations were happening across the county. Kingston held Heritage Days and a basket social. Cedar Mills had an ice cream social and street dance with music by Wally Pikal. Darwin held a special flag pole dedication and potluck. Dassel hosted a patriotic event with music, popcorn, and 7-Up. There was a barbeque and historic pageant in Grove City, and a bicentennial focus could be found at Eden Valley’s Valley Days and Watkin’s Kraut and Wurst Day.
Several local churches also celebrated. Four churches in Grove City held a community service, with the offering going towards the stockade. Ness Church invited the public to share in a potluck and special patriotic service. Church of Our Lady in Manannah celebrated the bicentennial and the church’s centennial with a special service and exhibit. First Lutheran in Cosmos even included the bicentennial in their Christmas pageant.
A recurring bicentennial column in the Litchfield Independent Review kept everyone up to date on the latest events.
Individuals were also caught up in the bicentennial fervor. For example, Jim “Kansas” Benson and family of Dassel set off in their covered wagon with plans to join a bicentennial wagon train in Pennsylvania. Sarah Shelton of Litchfield spent hours crocheting a blanket that resembled a 1776-era flag.
Now, fifty
years later, we have the opportunity to celebrate another milestone of our country, America 250. The Meeker County Museum is hosting a reading of the Declaration of Independence followed by a community potluck on Wednesday, July 8, at 5:00. This is part of a simultaneous reading of the Declaration that is happening across the country. Everyone is invited to bring a dish to share, along with drinks, plates, utensils, and lawn chairs for you and your family, as we celebrate America!
