The Great McFadden Ovation: A City Stops for Its Hero
In October 1872, Olympia erupted in celebration as thousands of citizens, horses, and brass bands escorted Territorial Delegate Owen McFadden home from his successful eastern tour, contrasting sharply with the cold reception given to his rival.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A GRAND DEMONSTRATION.—This afternoon our city witnessed one of the grandest demonstrations, in honor of Judge McFadden, ever got up in this Territory. Knowing that the Judge was coming today, his friends prepared him a fitting reception. They procured every horse and vehicle in the town, possible for them to obtain and suitable for the occasion. It was a gala-day, flags flying everywhere, homes and wagons decorated, and the participants joyous.
The procession was several blocks in length, headed by the brass band and a cortège of sixteen horsemen; there were 47 wagons and carriages drawn by 160 horses, and containing fully 400 persons. A great many ladies graced the occasion with their presence.
On Bush Prairie the party met the conveyance bringing in the Judge, where, after kindly, heartfelt greetings, he took the seat provided for him in a carriage drawn by six horses. Retracing their steps the party then brought the Judge with them to Blythe's [Olympia]. Their entry into town was ushered by the loud booming of two cannon and the martial music of the brass band.
The reception was a grand affair, and the Judge and his friends may well be proud of it.—Olympia Tribune, Oct. 25.
This 1872 account captures the visceral, physical nature of political campaigning in the frontier era, where 'getting out the vote' meant physically mobilizing every available horse and carriage to create a spectacle of popular support. It mirrors modern political rallies, though today's spectacles rely on media amplification rather than the sheer logistical feat of moving 160 horses through narrow dirt streets.
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