Sunday, July 4, 1976, Canfield, Ohio

When I woke up, I knew it was going to be a special day.  It was America’s 200th birthday! I have been looking forward to this for a long time. During the last month of school, our classroom at Hilltop Elementary colored flags and stars as art projects and learned about the early settlers. Today was going to be a great bicentennial celebration!

I bet my Dad and brother left the house early this morning. They were part of St. Michael’s Boy Scout Troop #115. They made a really cool American Eagle float that flapped its wings during this year’s parade. The whole troop and its leaders worked on it for months, and they had a lot to do to get it ready for the parade route.

Did I miss eating my Apple Jacks? Or did my Mom leave the house too, with my siblings in charge? She was a prominent member of the Canfield Jr. Women’s League. They organized and ran the Kids’ Bike Decorating Contest. 

My friends and I spent days before the 4th with many packages of patriotic crepe paper bought at Ben Franklin’s, carefully weaving it between the spokes of our tires. We cut out patriotic icons and inflated balloons to put at the ends of our handlebars. Not only did we get to ride our decorated bikes in the parade, but we also anticipated receiving a ribbon for our efforts.

It was the perfect weather for a parade! The air temperature that day was mid-70s. At the conclusion of the parade around the Green, there was so much to see and do that my friends and I didn’t know where to begin.

Should we grab a blue raspberry snow cone or get French Fries? Oh, wait! The watermelon eating contest is starting in a few minutes…let’s go! 

The city had a big trailer set up, and the contestants received a juicy piece of watermelon and climbed the steps for their 5 minutes of fame. I was a watcher, not an eater. “On your mark, get set…go”! We cheered and laughed as we watched our friends get covered with sticky juice and watermelon seeds.

After we had our fill of treats, games, and watching the Pet Dress-Up Contest, my favorite activity was riding on the flatbed truck around the Green pulled by a tracker. I’m thinking it was St. Michael’s Troop #115 that used the rides as a fundraiser. I remember asking Mom for some quarters and getting several tickets to ride. 

Riders sat on a bench, and their feet dangled toward the curb on both sides. After a full day of action, it felt good to sit with my friends and talk about what we did and what plans we had that night. The trailer drove slowly through several residential streets near the Green. I started feeling sleepy…

But tired wasn’t an option. I had to meet Mom and Dad so they could throw my bike in the trunk of our station wagon. Mom always planned a cookout with neighborhood friends. There were hot dogs, kickballs, watermelon, and frisbees galore! 

I honestly don’t remember going to see fireworks after the cookout. Either our local fairgrounds didn’t host them in those early years, or I just collapsed after catching lightning bugs and Dad and my brother lighting some sparklers.

Celebrating the 4th of July in a small hometown like Canfield is like no other. The recollection from 1976 and other years is quintessential Americana, and I’m thankful to have such enduring memories that I will hold on to forever… Happy 250th Birthday, America!