HISTORY VIEW MODESTO’S 4TH OF JULY PARADE

Not long after Modesto was first founded, Modesto and the citizens of Stanislaus County held the City’s first Fourth of July Parade in 1874. Now in 2023, Modesto is gearing up for its 150th Independence Day Celebration. Across the country, a town’s Fourth of July celebrations may be the epitome of quintessential Americana – the annual holiday celebrating the declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, a show of patriotic dedication and American progress. For most, it is at least a day surrounded with stars and stripes, with the scent of grilled food and fireworks filling the air. The core ideals at the heart of the National Holiday are what citizens of Modesto have celebrated for the last 150 years, and will continue to do so for the next 150 years. While the past century and a half of history and anecdotes of Modesto’s Independence Day celebrations could surely fill an entire edition of the ModestoView, we hope you enjoy the following highlights of Modesto’s past parades and those involved in maintaining the tradition.

MODESTO’S FIRST PARADE

The U.S. Congress established Independence Day as a federal holiday in 1870. Four years later, the citizens of Modesto and of the greater Stanislaus County area held the community’s inaugural parade on July 4th, 1874. While many of the sounds and sights of the parade would have been indicative of what we now come to expect from a Fourth of July parade, some early traditions of those civic celebrations have fell out of modern norms. The Parade started on H Street in front of the Court House, the procession began at 10:00AM with George Buck serving as Marshal of the Day. Leading the lineup was the Modesto Brass Band, and following behind them was a carriage that held the ceremonial representatives: Isaac Perkins was President of the Day, Reverend J.H. Sheldon was Chaplain, L.C. Branch was the Reader of the Declaration, and A.W. Roysdon was Orator. Behind the honorary officials was pulled a platform on which children dressed in red, white, and blue represented the 37 States. Then followed a variety of children and adults marching, some riding on horseback, and other carriages and wagons. After winding through the streets of downtown Modesto, the parade concluded at Huffman’s Warehouse at Front (9th) and I Streets for a grand assembly, which was called to order by Perkins and opening prayer delivered by Sheldon. There were three performances: A girls’ choir performed “Banner of the Sea,” an original poem “Memories of ‘76” by V.E. Bangs was recited by J.T. Davies, and the “Star Spangled Banner” was sung by the Modesto Glee Club. Branch then publicly recruited the Declaration of Independence, and Roysdon ended the assembly with a civics address on individual liberty, education, and government which lasted over an hour long. A grand dinner was held, and a celebration ball was held by a Mr. Ross at the Eastin’s Hall, with festivities continuing on until midnight.

The Parade Planners

Over the years, the traditions included in and the scope of the parade evolved based on changes in fashion and focuses of the era, and so did the actual responsibility for planning and organizing the parade. From the first Fourth of July in 1874 to 1912, committees of prominent local and county leaders oversaw planning and advertisement of the public celebrations when there was a parade. During this time, it was not uncommon for other cities in the County or neighboring counties to share in the patriotic pageantry, leading their own parades in lieu of parades in Modesto. In this case, even if Modesto forewent a public parade for the holiday, Company D of the California National Guard still paraded from the Armory to honor the holiday in Modesto under the direction of Colonel R.K. Whitmore. From 1913 to 1969, the responsibility for planning the

By Harrison Power

parade shifted to the Modesto Chamber of Commerce after it was established. From there it transitioned to the Modesto Junior Chamber of Commerce, the ”Jay-Cees,” who oversaw the parade from 1970-2010. During this era of the parade, with shifts in liability coverage and funding requirements, the Jay-Cees were able to step in on numerous occasions to ensure the City of Modesto would not go without its Fourth of July Parade. This was in large part due to the fine approach and genuine love of the community brought to the planning table by Al Menshew, longtime parade announcer and organizer. It was Al Menshew who was approached by Mayor Lee Davies to assist in planning Modesto’s Centennial celebrations that led to the Junior Chamber taking on the Fourth of July Parade. The Jay-Cees ultimately went defunct in 2010, at which point the charge of carrying on the tradition of Modesto’s Fourth of July parade transferred to the Modesto Kiwanis Club, who still are the primary hosts and sponsor of the parade.

Historical Highlights

With so many parades, Grand Marshals, and stories throughout the last 150 years, Modesto and the surrounding area certainly had no shortage of Fourth of July celebrations, balls, and shenanigans. To that end, just a selection from the historical record is outlined below for your enjoyment. In 1878 no formal public celebrations was announced for Modesto due to the need of local farmers to be working their crops, so many in town left for Stockton to view the parade there. However, the Modesto Hook and Ladder Company took it upon themselves later in the day at 4:00PM to parade the streets in honor of the holiday led by Foreman Ben Ducker.

In 1884, James R. Briggs served as Grand Marshal of the parade riding on horseback. Briggs was a Civil War veteran who came to California in 1864 following his service to the Union.

In 1886, the role of President of the Day was given to the Honorable C.C. Wright, who was soon after elected to the California Assembly and went on to succeed in passing legislation that allowed the formation of localized irrigation districts.

In 1913, Modesto boasted one of the area’s largest Fourth of July Parades up to that point. One of the great spectacles was a statewide road race from Los Angeles to Sacramento that went through Modesto on that day. Coming through town, the automobile racers crossed the through the

Modesto Arch as their local check point of the race.

In 1933, Modesto had revived its Fourth of July parade after a pause of many years. The holiday celebrations coincided with the dedications of the Lake Modesto Dam and a new bridge over the Tuolomne River. Governor James Rolph attended Modesto’s parade that year riding in an antique phaeton from Sonora. A year later in 1934, the parade included 398 horses along with stagecoaches, floats, and covered wagons. Ed Mape, prominent local cattle rancher, had the distinguished honor of being Grand Marshal for 25 years, including in Modesto’s 1970 parade honoring the city’s Centennial and Fourth of July.

Local farmer Lester Stein first entered the “Grapes of Wrath” Model A parade entry in 1969, which is currently the oldest continuously entered parade “float” with the 2023 parade being its 55th Parade. Lester, along with his family, was Grand Marshal of the parade in 2000 and he passed away in 2007. Look out this year for the oldest entry in the parade!

In 1970, Modesto’s Centennial Celebration coincided with the Fourth of July Parade, in which an 1860’s Wells Fargo stagecoach carried Centennial Chairman Terry McGrath, Mayor Lee Davies, and the Centennial Queens with Vice-Mayor William Mitchell riding shotgun. The parade was reported to be over 10 miles long with 215 entries and attracted some 20,000 spectators on a day that reached 100 degrees!

History Resource

ModestoView appreciates the teamwork from the McHenry Museum Historical association. They offer so many great resources to learn about our community story. Click this QR link that will take you to the current McHenry Museum Newsletter. If you can, please join the museum and help us celebrate our history for our future.