Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Pastimes: The Glorious 4th of July Celebrations

By Maylon Rice
 
Now this Pastime is only a memory reflection of some of the grander Fourth of July celebrations held decades ago in Warren.

The 4th of July today,  seems is  a minor holiday. Sometimes, prior to the current virus pandemic, a city might hold an early evening fireworks display for even a late evening picnic.

However, most of the 4th of July celebrations today are family based. Often with a hand-cranked freezer of homemade ice cream, some fancy desserts and an occasional small family exhibition of fireworks.

A civic group will likely post the flags at businesses along the Main Streets of town. Or  a flag display on the courthouse square may be posted. There are few political speeches made on this date.  And a 4th of July parade – well that has usually been reserved for other cities in our state, not in Warren on the 4th of July.

But not always.

Big elaborate 4th of July celebrations were held here from the early 1900s and up until after the Great Depression, when the Bradley Lumber Company and the Southern Lumber Company would shut down its operations and make the July 4th as a grand holiday.

With a full day off for all mill shifts, these companies would hold large, public gatherings, complete with a very competitive baseball games. There would be games for the children, and above all else, a free pit-barbeque dinner for the mill employees, their families and most of the entire Warren and Bradley County community.

Such gatherings have been well documented by the late Robert L. Newton, long time editor and publisher of the weekly Eagle Democrat in Bradley County and even by Ramon Greenwood via his book, “Another Time, Another Place,” circa 2002.

Both the large sawmills would stop all work on the 4th of July. All the workers, their families and guest of the mills, many times would ride on the company’s rail road cars from the downtown depot to the site west of Warren back in those days.

A large hand-dug barbeque pit has been prepared days prior to the big event. This pit would serve as the central spot were a dinner to feed hundreds of mill hands, their families and guests of the mill manager would take place.

The long earthen pit was filled with hickory wood and set on fire to burn down the coals, which were tended and stoked during the night. Various types of meat – largely whole hogs and sides of beef  -  were laid across these red-hot coals, filled pits, The meat were laid on wire fence-like racks or metal skewers allow those tending the pits, to turn the meat, ensuring an even and well barbequed banquet. Buckets of vinegar-based barbecue sauce were mopped onto the cooking meat giving off a mother watering flavor and aroma in the smoky air.

Saw horses with long wide boards were erected as make-shift tables for the food to be laid out.

It was not just barbecue that the mills management purchased but bushels baskets of apples, fresh peaches and strawberries were procured. And vast amounts of vegetables, like tomatoes, roasted ears of sweet corn, and freshly dug red potatoes, both boiled and baked near the fires were served. Other foods like fresh baked bread, pies and cakes, would also line the long tables for the dining public.

Both the mills would spare very little expense in catering out all types of delicious foods and fixings for the large crowds to enjoy. Often times the local soda pop vendor would bring in crates of flavored sodas, iced down in crates for the children. Lemonade and ice tea was made by the barrel for the adults.

Usually earlier in the day, a highly promoted baseball game was organized often with the mill management serving as managers of the teams. There was always a spirited crowd to cheer on the local mill hands or their families who played in such games.

Greenwood, in his book, noted that both the Bradley and Southern also offered an alternative “Juneteenth” Celebration for its minority employees on June 19th each year. However, from recollections from both Newton’s writings over the years and Greenwood’s book, one cannot, for a fact, deduct that these gatherings were indeed segregated, but possibly more likely so given the time period of these events.

In those days Warren had a public band program, under the tutelage of the famous R. P. Dial, the band often played for these gatherings. Many will recall that the Dial Band was a subscription band, where parents paid for lessons and were not a part of the actual school academic program.

It was Patriotic music for sure.

At the big barbecue, back in those days, it was not illegal for some adult beverages to be consumed. However neither company stores gave away or served up these beverages. It was frowned upon, but both men told of “fellers slipping around behind the cook tents (out of sight) to take a nip,” during the activities.

Towards the end of the summer afternoon, the mill train would haul those attending back to the center of Warren. Others often found a car (a rarity for most) might hitch a ride back and many walked back to their homes.

Sometimes there were great orations or recitations of famous political speeches given to the assembled crowds.

And the next day on the 5th of July, should that be a work day – it was back to the mill. The Glorious 4th was indeed a one-day celebration back then.

But what a Pastime it was for those who attended these large, outdoor community barbecues put on by those large Bradley Lumber Company and Southern.

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