Norris Park the site of many McCook celebrations

Marching bands bring tears to my eyes just like looking at our flag and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I’m not an emotional type of person but the sound of the drums, the cadence as they march down the street with their backs straight and their heads held high….what’s not to like?

A short home movie of the 1971 German Heritage Days parade was found at the museum and after a bit of legwork, a 16 mm projector was uncovered at the McCook Library so that the film could be shown during the celebration this year. The MHS marching band is in that movie as well as the Shriner’s. I miss the Shriner’s days when they had their elaborate costumes, the basket with the fake snake carried by the snake charmer, the little cars, the motorcycles, etc. I know that in actuality those were several different Shriner’s organizations over the years, but the guy carrying the snake basket always seemed to be the same person.

Looking at main street in 1971, the Masonic Temple building had not yet undergone the exterior remodel which included a stucco finish to the whole building. The Keystone was the Defender’s Townhouse, The Fox Theater was still a movie theater, and the Federal Building was a functional post office.

Horses still played a large part in the ’71 parade as well as horse drawn buggies which reminded me of my mother’s friend, Boots was her nickname, and her miniature horse and buggy set that she had in the parade the last few years before she passed. In the ’71 parade she was resplendent in her cowgirl garb riding down Norris Ave.

The early “Heritage Days” parades were run in conjunction with Band Day at McCook Community College. This brought many area bands to McCook to participate in the parade. After the bands marched in the parade, they headed to Weiland Field for a day of competition. The two activities working together created an excellent parade with all the bands that were competing, and exciting entertainment at the college as each band competed in marching drills and music show after the parade.

Festivities in the park also occurred in ’71 and the movie included women and children dressed in “German” outfits as was one of the bands whose members sported their take on lederhosen and traditional head gear! Many different people and organizations had “kraut buns” for sale during the weekend along with some kuchen sweets.

McCook has a long history of parades and centered around the downtown area and “City Park” as it was first known. The first reference to activities in the park is a scant three years (1885) after McCook was born when the City Band played there. Comments were made that the band was definitely improving technically and with the selection of songs played.

In 1901, a Fourth of July celebration included a main street parade with cash prizes, the best decorated surrey or buggy, $ 3.00 going to the winner. At 12:30, after oration by W. J. Turner, there was a “Basket Dinner” in the park, followed by bicycle, potato, greased pig, three-leg and “Fat Man’s” races which also offered cash prizes.

Judging for premium offered by McCook firms included the Heaviest Baby under 6 months old, the Heaviest, Tallest, Oldest and Homeliest man plus the Man with the Biggest Feet and the Man that can “Holler” Loudest. The last winner got a box of cigars!

A baseball game between McCook and Arapahoe went on at 4:30. Fireworks took place in the evening. Since many outlying communities came to the celebration, the railroad offered special rates for travelers coming to McCook for the day! (All this information came from the McCook Tribune, June 28, 1901.)

When you are researching, www.chroniclingamerica.gov offers a large selection of newspapers on line for free. Newspapers.com, which falls under the Ancestry.com domain is not free but does offer a free access for a few days. If you go to https://guides.library.cmu.edu you will find a guide to online historic free newspapers which include information for college, African American, ethnic and other special interest publications.

SWNGS monthly meeting is this Saturday at 1 PM. We are located at 322 Norris Ave., Rooms 2-7 and there is an elevator for your use. Our meetings are open to the public.