The Silver Cornet Band, under the direction of John Jacobs, plays at Stuhr Museum’s Railroad Town, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – Approximately 500 people attended the July 4 celebration at the Stuhr Museum.
The celebration was set in the year 1894. Alexandra Bird, assistant director of interpretative resources at the museum, said people attended concerts, parades, horse races, and other events on July 4, “anything that will help celebrate Independence.” Civil War veterans would have been present.
Bird helped line up parade participants at Glade Mill. From there, they marched south past Railroad Town to the bandstand.
Participants in the parade included people representing the poultry society, women’s suffrage, and other groups. A man in the poultry society was carrying a small wooden crate with two chickens inside.
Bird said that all of the signs and banners that people carried in the parade were representative of 1894 and were reproductions of items seen in photographs.
Chris Hostetler, executive director of Stuhr Museum, said, “I think we have a record crowd.”
He said that the interpretative staff had worked for seven months preparing for the parade, doing things such as sewing banners.
After parade participants reached the bandstand, John Jacobs led the Silver Cornet Band in a concert, playing many John Philip Sousa marches. Jacobs lives in Aurora, taught band last year at Grand Island Senior High School, and will teach in the fall at Sandy Creek Public Schools.
After the concert, those attending listened to patriotic speeches and readings and sang songs such as “America,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and “Yankee Doodle.”
Following the program, races occurred at the railroad park, and a cherry pie eating contest occurred at the bandstand.
A member of the poultry society carried a crate with two live chickens in it, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
John Jacobs of Aurora directs the Silver Cornet Band at Stuhr Museum, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
Alexandra Bird is assistant director of interpretive exhibits at Stuhr Museum, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
