Glorious Fourth - July 4, 2010
In recent years, Ohio Village has celebrated Independence Day 1890s style. Before that it was 1860s style. This year, in honor of the Ohio Historical Society's 125th anniversary, the village moved to 1885 for "The Glorious Fourth: Independence Day Celebration". The event ran from 1:00 to 5:00 and I joined the line just starting to enter a few minutes past 1:00. The first picture is of the school playground. A few players stand on the field beyond where a base ball game will soon be played. In the few minutes before parade time, I managed to meet the schoolmarm, the doctor's wife, and the undertaker's apprentice. I also caught Colonel Higgenbottom in the chuckle that accompanies his telling of converting a tiger from a man-eater to a "lead-eater" while in India. Dignitaries led off the parade which contained all manner of town folk. Quite a few women participated and many displayed their support for issues dear to them: suffrage and temperance. The parade ended at the town hall where the mayor delivered a fine speech. There was singing and poem reading. A reading of the Declaration of Independence was accompanied by several patriotic tableaus and followed by a series of toasts. The town's ladies contrived to reveal each tableau only at the proper time.

The Ohio Village Muffins posed for a photo before dividing into two teams for the big game. The ball is pitched underhanded and must be delivered "as requested by the batter". Pitches are not called as balls or strikes. A batted ball is declared fair or foul based on where it first hits regardless of its subsequent path. It was not uncommon to see a batter swing straight down on the ball so that it hits the ground in fair territory then bounds off on a hard to catch trajectory. A nice display of vintage equipment and uniforms was set up in one of the buildings. Feel safe?

Throughout the day, carriage rides were available and there were costumed docents in many of the buildings. Dr. Balthasar, reported to be the mayor's rascally twin brother and bearing a striking resemblance, tried peddling his miracle elixir. I missed the Punch & Judy Show and couldn't get close enough to the pie eating contest to get a picture but I did photograph -- and participate in -- the "Make Your Own Sundae" line. The last two shots are of the "Grand March", the final organized event of the day.

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