A Patriotic Gathering in Nighthawk
Citizens from Oroville and the surrounding area gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July with speeches, songs, and a banquet that lasted well into the night.
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.
The Fourth of July exercises commenced at Nighthawk with a noon banquet. After dinner, C. A. Andrus delivered the Declaration of Independence from memory, never missing a word. Hon. Tom Hubble spoke at length on the 'Father of His Country,' and Will Jones spoke on America as a unified nation. Emel Schultz spoke of the glories of the past and the honors to come, while Joseph Lenton spoke of the benefits of a high protective tariff. Charles T. Peterson and Frank Grogan also offered remarks. As the sun went down behind that grand old peak, the party joined in singing 'My Country, 'Tis of Thee.' Before breaking camp, an unanimous vote of thanks was tendered to Mesdames Jones, Peterson, and Schultz for their efforts in making the celebration a success. The party later reassembled at the home of Judge Peterson, where his wife had another spread prepared, and the celebration continued with music and song until the small hours.
“As the sun went down behind that grand old peak, it was truly a happy party that joined voice, heart and soul, in that good old song, 'My Country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of Liberty.'”
Local holiday celebrations in Nighthawk once served as the primary social glue for rural Okanogan County. While Nighthawk is now largely a ghost town, these communal traditions of public oratory and shared feasting remain a staple of small-town Washington identity.
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