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.
