Fourth of July on a Quarter 1917

The year was 1917 and I was twelve years old.

Our country's Independence Day was never forgotten in my home. For weeks I had been reminded of the "Fourth of July" as a patriotic celebration. There would be lots of music, plenty of entertainment, colorful red, white, and blue displays, Old Glory was displayed with pride. At night the air would be filled with fireworks.

Looking forward to this great event I worked hard in the fields, hoeing weeds and gathering potato and tomato slug-like larvae. I made sure that I had chips and kindling and firewood in their places for cooking and heating water. I paid special attention to barnyard chores making sure that the calves were properly fed and the poultry house locked at night to prevent wild predators, or perhaps chicken thieves, to disturb our fried chicken and egg supply. My manners were affected. Surely I would not want to stir up my father's ire, because he promised if I did all these things I would be awarded a quarter to spend anyway I wished to celebrate Fourth of July.

My twelve year old mind had already planned how that quarter would be spent before we reached the city park for the "Big Celebration". I would cry for joy when the band broke out into "The Star-Spangled Banner", opening the ceremony! Music from the bandstand just kept coming. Marches and folk songs were played. I wanted to march when I heard "Yankee Doodle Dandy". I felt the drum beats stirring my feet to rhythm. Music lifted my spirits!

I waited for the Merry-Go-Round music to start. It was there I spent my first nickel. Astride the black and white pony, the carousel ride always ended too soon. The pumping up and down thrilled me. I imagined I was an Indian chief astride his fleet-footed painted horse on a wild buffalo hunt. I was in the height of my glory! The boomty-boom-boom-umpah-umpah sounds were delightful.

By now I was hungry and thirsty. A box of Cracker Jacks and a strawberry soda would take care of that! Now I only had ten cents!

I spent another nickel for an ice cream cone.

With my last nickel I bought a package of firecrackers. I placed my firecrackers safely in the front of my overalls. I didn't use them in the park. I kept them to use at home. I would place firecrackers under a stick in the sand to see where the blast would leave a volcano-like pit. I was careful to protect my firecrackers from pranksters at the park. I heard one boy had his firecrackers in his hip pocket when a prankster lit a match to one of the exposed string fuse of the explosive which resulted in blowing the pocket off and giving the boy an unwanted "hot seat". Luckily he was not burned or injured!

My older siblings also had their twenty-five cent allotment to spend as they desired. We were all proud to be a part of this Independence Day Celebration in 1917. Oklahoma had been admitted to the Union only ten years prior.

This page is maintained by Dr. Wood's son, Harold W. Wood, Jr., of Visalia, California.
My E-mail address is: harold@planetaryexploration.net

Return to Doc Wood's Stories of a Lifetime Home Page