The citizens of 1976 realized we would have many questions about the celebration. It was common for Pulaski County residents to subscribe to the Chicago Tribune, the Indianapolis News, or the Indianapolis Star. Most residents subscribed to the Logansport Pharos Tribune as well as the local Pulaski County Journal.

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July 1976 Pulaski County Journal

July 8, 1976, retrieved from the Spirit of ‘76 Vault.

Lugging blankets, lawn chairs, picnic baskets and children, several thousand people turned out Sunday for Pulaski County’s fourth of July celebration in the Winamac City Park.

Activities began at 1 p.m. in the park’s community building with demonstrations of spinning and candle making and displays of old farm implements and homemade bread and quilts.

Bonnie Fry, Logansport, showed the crowds wandering through the building how she spins varied-colored yarns using flax, sheep’s wool and other materials.

Mrs. Fry said she bought a 200-year-old spinning wheel a few years ago and her husband repaired it. “He showed me more how to use it than I knew,” she said. As she became more interested in properly learning how to spin, she took classes and began seriously devoting time to the skill.

Edith DePoy, Winamac, demonstrated how pioneers made candles by either dipping them in hot tallow or by pouring the tallow into molds.

She said she learned the craft nearly five years ago after her grandfather gave her a mold that had belonged to his father. She said she decided that since she had the mold, she should learn how to use it.

Roy Master, Winamac, displayed some old farm implements. He showed viewers an apple butter kettle and stirrer which originally came from Pennsylvania, a scrub board, a broad ax used for squaring timber, a brush ax used for clearing areas, a sausage grinder, a boot jack, and wooden blocks which farmers put on horses’ rear hooves to prevent their sinking in muck land while plowing.

The annual Winamac softball league tournament which began July 3 in the baseball diamond ended Sunday afternoon with Shepherd’s Sales and Service winning the championship game.

Herb’s North Side beat Central Soya and Star City triumphed over Winamac Jaycees Saturday in the preliminary games.

Shepherd’s won over Winamac Coil and Spring Sunday in the first game and then beat Star City 16-13 in the final game at 2 PM.

“History in Review,” a Bicentennial program presented by Pulaski County Federated Clubs, began at 7 PM and reenacted scenes from America’s history.

Thomas P. Shank gave the welcome followed by an introduction by Mrs. Harry J. DePoy, president of Federated Clubs.

A float constructed by Harry DePoy and his sons provided the backdrop for the seven depictions. Narrating the first scene, Columbus Discovers America, was Mrs. Russel Nale.

Mrs. Neal Hiatt told about the Landing of the Mayflower and the Rev. Harold Oechsle reviewed The First Thanksgiving. Robert Conn gave Patrick Henry’s famous speech and Mrs. Robert Redweik read a poem describing Paul Revere’s midnight ride.

Gen. George Washington, portrayed by Neal Hiatt, was voted in as Commander-in-Chief.

Men portraying the 56 members of the Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence duplicated the original signatures. That replica will be buried in a capsule in the Pulaski courthouse lawn and is to be opened in 50 years.

Following the hour-and-a-half long program, members of American Legion Post No. 71 gave a 21-gun salute. Since the post didn’t have 21 guns, each of the seven members fired his gun three times.

Members of the squad were Dick Newman, Chuck Webb, Bill Webb, Bob Widup, John Kruger, Wilber Scott, Gerald Lebo and Keith Sayers.

Before the program had ended, people had begun moving their blankets and chairs to the area where the annual fireworks display was to occur at dusk.

Cars and vans vying for choice spots along the fence area had long ago parked to insure good viewing positions.

The fireworks display, which began at 9 PM and lasted an hour, was supervised for the 28^th consecutive year by Paul Fritz and Ralph Galbreath. The fireworks were provided through joint efforts of the Winamac Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs.

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