Citrus County Celebrates Independence Day
By: Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society
As we look forward to the nation’s 250th celebration, Inverness City Councilman Tom Craig was curious how we celebrated the 1976 bicentennial milestone in Citrus County. He recently posted several interesting clippings from the Citrus County Chronicle highlighting some of the activities (and advertisements) from July 1976. This story looks at some of the historic Florida July 4th celebrations since the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.
Birth of America – 1776
Florida was essentially a backwater territory that was alternately owned by the British and Spanish in the 1700’s. The British were ceded control of Florida in 1763 but they had few settlers in 1776 and most of them remained loyal to the Crown. They were occupied with daily survival in the harsh Florida environment and dealing with hostile natives. It is doubtful that the sparse population was aware of the independence movement growing to the North and certainly did not celebrate the event.
America’s 50th Birthday – 1826
The political landscape had changed considerably in the next 50 years. Spain had regained ownership of Florida but was compelled to cede the territory to the upstart United States in 1821. The first military governor of the area, Andrew Jackson, had engaged in extensive military campaigns to subdue the native tribes and open more land for American settlers.
Jackson was replaced by civilian Territorial Governor William Pope Duval in 1822. At the time, the territory was divided into two entities – East Florida and West Florida. He selected an obscure Seminole village called Tallahassee as his new territorial capitol. The site was hardly developed and was chosen because it was equidistant from the largest villages in East and West Florida. Duval’s residence in 1826 was an unimposing log cabin.
Friction with the Native Americans continued during Duval’s term of office. The groups eventually agreed to a de facto line of demarcation at Fort King in today’s Ocala. In 1826 most of the area occupied by today’s Citrus County was populated by tribes who had little interest in commemorating American Independence.
As an aside, the Territorial Government issued a “Report on the Expediency of Opening a Canal From the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean” during Duval’s term in 1825.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the original authors of the Declaration of Independence, both passed away on July 4, 1826 – exactly 50 years to the day after they completed their landmark document.
America’s 100th Birthday – 1876
The political landscape changed once again 100 years after the construction of America’s Declaration of Independence. The country had undergone a divisive Civil War and the former Confederate States were placed under an unpopular Reconstruction program. Florida had been readmitted to the Union in 1868 but Republicans and their sympathizers had assumed control of state and local government.
A grand “Centennial Exposition” was planned for Philadelphia to celebrate the anniversary. Railroads and steamships offered special packages for anyone intending to travel to the exposition. The event was very much akin to our contemporary World Fairs. In the pre-Internet era, attendees were amazed to see the costumes and customs of visitors from the exotic Middle East, Asian, South American and African countries. Of course, many merchants used the opportunity as a way to sell more “Centennial” goods and services.
The general opinion in Florida was that the Centennial Fourth of July events were nothing more than another “Yankee celebration”. They chafed at the ongoing Reconstruction program and aftermath across the Southern states.
Only Jacksonville, which had a recent string of Republican mayors, had an extensive Independence Day celebration. The event passed with little fanfare other than small gatherings across most of Florida.
Our area was part of the larger Hernando County at the time. The county still held onto their traditions and resentment of the influence of the “carpetbaggers” was high. A group of vigilantes known as “The Regulators” imposed their own brand of frontier justice. The Hernando County courthouse was burned to the ground under suspicious circumstances in 1877. Local residents were in no mood to commemorate what they perceived as another opportunity for Northern gloating.
America’s 150th Birthday – 1926
America was in the midst of “The Roaring Twenties” in 1926. We had participated in a successful conclusion of The Great War. Business was booming and prosperity was sweeping the country. Many Americans had cars, trucks and tractors which made travel and commerce more convenient. A web of “hard roads” crisscrossed Citrus County. Reliable train service connected the county with other cities and local goods found markets across the country. The rancor of the Civil War and Reconstruction had abated and people were more open to celebrating our heritage as Americans. Citrus County was ready to celebrate!
The editor of the Citrus County Chronicle promised “The reading of the Declaration of Independence and the serious consideration of just what this document means to us as a nation, patriotic speaking by a distinguished orator, games and contests in which old and young alike participate with joyous abandon, the martial strains of band music, a baseball game, dancing for those who enjoy this amusement, hot dogs, red lemonade and above all, a day of visiting and getting acquainted.”
There were dancing contests for both singles and couples performing the popular “Charleston”. Little Miss Faira Virginia Williams of Crystal River was declared as the dancing co-winner and awarded $2.50 for her efforts.
No celebration would have been complete without a greased pig contest and blueberry pie eating contest. A watermelon seed-guessing game attracted over 2,300 entrants. Some of the events may not be appropriate in today’s world such as prizes for the oldest man and woman and the heaviest man and women. The oldest man was J.J. Brown of Homosassa at 82 years old. In the lady’s division, Mrs. Leonecker prevailed but the Chronicle wisely decided not to publish her age. They were each rewarded $2.50 for outlasting all other contestants. The names of the winners of the heaviest man and women were mysterious omitted from the Chronicle article. There were other contests that may be considered “cringe worthy” by today’s readers.
There were over 4,300 people who attended the celebration which was made possible by the Florida West Coast Development Company (the developer of “New Homosassa”) and various civic organizations.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last. The Florida West Coast Development Company experienced financial issues and had to eventually declare bankruptcy a few years later. Citrus County and the rest of the world were blindsided by a total economic collapse and the “Great Depression” held residents in its grip until World War II.
America’s 200th Birthday – 1976
The Bicentennial celebration was welcomed by Americans with a sense of accomplishment and relief. Since the 1926 event, Citrus County had survived the Great Depression, participated in victory in World War II, watched American men walk on the Moon and endured the downfall of a President. The 1976 event was dubbed “A Celebration of Us”.
Parades and local events were planned for the big day. The Inverness march attracted bagpipers and floats from civic associations. Sumter County Sheriff “Singin’ Don Page” performed at the Citrus Plaza Shopping Center. Walt Connors loaned a garrison flag which was so large that it stretched across the entire width of Main Street in Inverness.
Cecil Morris, the oldest Citrus County World War I veteran, served as Grand Marshal. The quick-witted 87-year-old soldier quipped “So, all I’ll be doing is riding in the front car in the parade, that is all right as long as it’s not hearse”. He continued “…we shouldn’t have to do this to appreciate America. Sure, we’re 200 years old. I’m 100 per cent American, and I’ll tell you I’ve been in nine countries and there isn’t any other country in the world where a person has the privileges and opportunities. And it’s a heluva good idea to think about that every day”
I couldn’t have said it better. Enjoy the upcoming 250th Independence Day celebration. It’s a great day to remember that we are all Americans, first and foremost.
Ken Marotte writes for the Citrus County Historical Society. He can be reached via email at kenmarottejr@gmail.com if you have any comments, questions or suggestions.
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