3,500 VISITORS
Tarry in the Terminal Town Independence Day.
A Magnificent Procession Over Two Miles Long.
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Honest Races, Fine Address and Pleasing Music.
A Red Hot Ball Game and a Skillful Gun Shoot
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Followed By a Grand Ball.
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At 10:30 a.m. the parties taking part in the parade commenced to gather on the common between the Union house and the depot - four horse teams, traction engines with their train of farm machinery, multitudes of Calithumpian maskers, equestrians, unique single handed representations, gaily caparisoned horses, with the busy marshals Thompson, Stork, Simington and Frost darting hither and thither arranging the details of the parade. At 10:30 the train arrived from the south with three full carloads of visitors from Valley City, Sanborn, Dazey, Odell and Hannaford. The crowd had been nicely guaged so that while there was no room to spare, all parties were made comfortable. After a well-rendered selection of music by the Valley City band under the leadership of Prof. Aasgaard, the procession started for the driving park a half-mile distant. The grand stand had been rebuilt and enlarged; the track placed in perfect order, and all that was lacking for the races were horses. Messrs. Knapp, Miller and Adams were the judges. The first race was the free for all running race, half mile and repeat. Ike, a bay gelding of Hope, Nigger, and Pashley came to the scratch. Ike at once took the lead and held it to the end without being crowded, Pashley second, Nigger a bad third. The second heat was a repetition of this one. Time 1 minute.
The pony race bid fair not to fill until Mr. Hammer, to keep the fun going, paid entrance fee on the bay mare Lizzie, owned by Ben Chime, besides his own cream. The cream took the first heat in 59 seconds. Lizzie took the next two heats - best time 58 seconds - and the race, the Hammer pony being winded.
The trotting race was a hippodrome between a poor defenceless cripple and Johnson's Old Gold. Old Gold won the first heat, and by a mistake of the driver Fanny took the second heat. The third heat was a beauty. Fanny running the entire distance and then getting left. Old Gold won the heat and race. Time 3 minutes.
It was then announced from the judge’s stand that the rest of the exercises would be held on the common in the centre of town, and the procession again started. At noon the hotels, restaurants, peanut stands, etc., were filled with a dense struggling and hungry mass of humanity.
Great pains were taken by the townspeople to feed the hungry and after some time all were properly filled and returned to the campus. This place had been turned into a cool shady campground. A grand stand accommodated 500 people, a tented bowery 100 x 16 feet, tents, booths, etc., arranged in a semi-circle about the ball grounds, afforded shade for about 2,000 people.
The male quartet, Messrs. Whidden, Brown, Stork and King, assisted by Mr. Enger upon the cornet, sang the Star Spangled Banner, after which the orator of the day, Mr. David Bartlett, was introduced by Mr. Adams, and made a cool, matter of fact speech, devoid of buncombe and which was frequently applauded. The quartet then sang Banner of Victory when the speaker's stand was removed and the ball game between the Sanborn and Hope nines was called. The game was close and interesting and won by Hope by a score of 18 to 12.
Some tall kicking was done against the umpire who was from Hope, and this added rather than detracted from the interest of the game.
The gun contest followed, ten entries being made from Steele, Barnes and Griggs counties. J. M. Burrell and George W. Bathy divided first money - $30, while H. B. Simington captured the second money - $15.
The great bowery was in the meantime alive with dancers - the Cooperstown orchestra furnishing the music. In the evening the display of fire works, lasting about an hour and a half, delighted young and old. And then the grand ball and home. The Valley City orchestra furnished the music for the ball and it was unusually good.
All in all it was the most successful celebration we ever witnessed in so small a town, the attendance being variously estimated at from 3,500 to 6,000 people.
THE COURIER July 8,1887
Source: Cooperstown, North Dakota 1882-1982 Centennial Page 250