The Unsung Heroes of the July 4th Celebration
While the Governor delivered speeches, an obscure register of local citizens reminds us who actually built the early life of Centralia.
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.
At the celebration of the Fourth of July at Centralia, the Declaration of Independence was read by Mrs. Marie Tripole, prayer was offered by O. H. Hermos, the oration was given by W. A. Raymond, and an address was delivered by Gov. Squire. The committee in charge of the celebration to the society at Centralia and the committee of the day consisted of the names of those attended by citizens dressed in regalia, while the children had their day and their own program. Following this, the board opened the registration books for the town, and as the day concluded, a complete list of 704 citizens had been recorded. The Board will go over the names next week, striking out all who are known to have moved from town, and the entire list of 2,500 new names will appear in this paper at the close of the week.
“The board will go over the names next week, striking out all who are known to have moved from town.”
Today, Seattleites are obsessed with voter registration drives and the mechanics of civic inclusion, much like the 1886 Centralia organizers who meticulously verified their resident rolls. It’s a reminder that the 'who' of a city—the ledger of neighbors—has always been the first step in claiming a place at the table.
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