Lynden’s Record-Breaking Dry Fourth of July
Thousands flocked to Lynden for a massive holiday celebration, proving that a 'dry town' could pull off a rowdy, successful event without a single fight or arrest.
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 largest crowd in the history of Lynden attended the celebration on Monday, and Lynden demonstrated that a 'dry town' can pull off a 'live' celebration. There was something doing every minute, but there was no drunkenness, no fights, no quarreling, and no serious accidents. It was just a glorious good time with everybody good-natured. It is estimated that 4,000 visitors were in Lynden. Despite the heat, the day was ideal. By 6 o'clock in the morning, the whole town was gay with flags and bunting, and the whole valley seemed to rumble with the noise of explosives. A parade featuring decorated rigs and floats took place, with judges S.H. Bradley, Barney Collins, and Co. Ecker awarding prizes. A baseball game against Everson drew intense interest, with Lynden pulling out a win in the tenth inning. The day concluded with a band concert, a dance, and a show at Jamieson's opera house.
“Lynden demonstrated that a 'dry town' can pull off a 'live' celebration.”
Lynden’s reputation as a 'dry town' dates back to its early days as a Dutch-settled community with strong temperance roots. Today, while the city has long since moved past formal prohibition, the community still maintains a unique cultural identity that often sets it apart from the surrounding county.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.