Page 3 - NV2024

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Steeped in history

Northville celebration marks 148 years of tradition

A 148-year-old tradition will contin-
ue throughout Northville this year
with the annual Independence Day
Parade. Hundreds of parade partici-
pants will march through the streets
while thousands of spectators line the
route waiting to see the bands, floats,
professional team mascots, antique
cars and other attractions parade
past.
For the fifth year, the parade will
be organized and directed by the staff
at the Northville Chamber of
Commerce. Chamber officials agreed
to take on the historic tradition from
the Northville Community The Northville Cornet Band performed at the 1886 Independence Day celebra-
Foundation, which had managed the tion.
parade for decades. This year, the
parade theme is Party in the USA. ried out by reason of a severe storm, a general din of lesser noise was kept
One of the first recorded 4th of July which continued until afternoon. As up through the day . . .” according to
events in the community was reported soon as the storm abated, the people the historic newspaper account.
on the front page of The Northville began to come into town, so that by Many of the most familiar names in
Record in July of 1876 when the first two o'clock several hundred had col- the community were speakers at the
century of independence was cele- lected,” the front-page story reported. celebration, including Dr. J.M. Swift,
brated. All did not go well that year, “A salute of 18 guns were fired at Northville pioneer William P. Yerkes
however, “as the programme which midnight ushering in the 100th
had been advertised could not be car- anniversary of our nation's birth, and See History, page 4