{"id":7463,"date":"2018-03-17T19:15:58","date_gmt":"2018-03-18T00:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/whs.eastus.cloudapp.azure.com\/wordpress\/?p=7463"},"modified":"2019-06-30T21:34:51","modified_gmt":"2019-07-01T02:34:51","slug":"worthingtons-1968-bicentennial-celebrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org\/wordpress\/worthingtons-1968-bicentennial-celebrations\/","title":{"rendered":"Worthington’s 1968 Bicentennial celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Evan Spring<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Parade float by the Drummers Club.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The upcoming celebrations for Worthington\u2019s 250th anniversary<\/a> may seem a bit extravagant. Festivities will continue five days, from June 29 to July 3, with a pot luck dinner and dance, outdoor music, exhibits, art shows, a parade, fireworks. Are we dreaming too big for a small town? Not if we look back fifty years to the grandest celebration in Worthington\u2019s history: the 1968 bicentennial.<\/p>\n

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Guidelines for sprucing up the town were officially posted.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The bicentennial celebrations lasted no less than eight days. (The 1868 centennial event was just a single day.) Planning began two years in advance, with Henry H. Snyder, age 73, as general chairman of the steering committee. Fundraisers included a dance, barbecue, benefit auction, two talent shows, and a fashion show. Renovations to spruce up Town Hall included refinishing the floors and stairs, paneling the town officers\u2019 room on the second floor in mahogany, and installing new furniture, fire exits, fire escapes, and wall-to-wall carpet. Town residents were browbeaten to make their houses presentable. The town never had to appropriate public funds, though most events had admission prices and questions were raised about spending, accounting, and overcharging.<\/p>\n

In any case, what was the payoff for all this effort? Let\u2019s take a look, day by day.<\/p>\n

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Leaflet with bicentennial schedule.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Saturday, June 29: Anniversary Ball and coronation of the Queen<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Ticket for the Anniversary Ball.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the bicentennial\u2019s opening gala, Town Hall was decorated in homage to the Lafayette Inn, the 75-room resort at Worthington Corners that burned down in 1931. A large mirrored ball was suspended from the ceiling. The side lawn held tables under a tent, with plant arrangements in sap buckets to be sold afterwards. Emerson \u201cEmmy\u201d Davis, the caretaker of Town Hall, played the part of innkeeper and asked guests to sign the register. Because of space restrictions, only 150 pairs of tickets were sold, plus a few single tickets. Dress was in period costume or semi formal. A posted notice warned that violators of decency, decorum and upright conduct were liable to be \u201cvisited with Stocking, Pillow, Whipping\u201d for crimes including burglary, drunkenness, profaning the Sabbath, disorderliness, singing profane songs, blasphemy, idleness, malicious gossip, or unbecoming carriage in children, servants and apprentices.<\/p>\n

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At the Anniversary Ball. L-R: Peg Rolland, Fred Emerson, Betty Green.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Emmy Davis as innkeeper at the Anniversary Ball.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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At 9:30pm the five nominees for Bicentennial Queen, all just graduated from Gateway high school, each made their grand entrance with an escort. They carried nosegays of rosebuds across the stage and took their place on the red carpet. Emcee Chet Dragon detailed their interests and aspirations. A sealed envelope was opened and the Queen was announced. The judges, all from out-of-town to avoid favoritism, had chosen 17-year-old Kristin Majkowski. The runner-ups would serve as her \u201ccourt\u201d throughout the week.<\/p>\n

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Ernestine and Bill Laflamme of Huntington at the Anniversary Ball. Bill delivered milk to Worthington for many years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Unidentified couple at the Anniversary Ball.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Bicentennial Queen and her court.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sunday, June 30: Church services, art exhibit, flea market, barbecue, game supper<\/strong><\/p>\n

A special commemorative service at the Congregational Church in Worthington Center brought three former pastors back to the fold. An additional service honoring Russell H. Conwell took place later at the Methodist Episcopal Church in South Worthington. An electric organ was brought in, and Conwell\u2019s granddaughter Jane Conwell Tuttle introduced hymns sung by contralto Edith Hathaway and her daughter, soprano Charlotte Hathaway. Many attendees came in historic costume, and ushers took the collection wearing swallow-tail coats.<\/p>\n

The art exhibit, antique flea market, and barbecue took place at Sena\u2019s Sales Barn, with 40 local artists exhibiting over 200 paintings. The gate prize was airfare for two to Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. The game supper at the Drummers Club in South Worthington had a disappointing turnout, with only 32 of 100 tickets sold.<\/p>\n

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The Drummers Club in South Worthington.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Ribbon cutting at the Drummers Club. L-R: Unidentified man, bicentennial committee chairman Henry Snyder, Joan Emerson, parade chairman Fred Emerson, unidentified man.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Monday, July 1: Conwell School exhibit and Bicentennial Concert<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the afternoon the Conwell School unveiled an exhibit of photographs, arts and crafts of old Worthington, and the evening event was a Bicentennial Concert directed by Robert and Rolande Young Schrade in Sena\u2019s Sales Barn. Later that year the Shrades would inaugurate their renowned summer music festival, Sevenars,<\/a> in South Worthington\u2019s Methodist Episcopal Church.<\/p>\n

Sena\u2019s Sales Barn was used for auctions (and potato storage in winter) but the walls were freshly painted and the acoustics were reportedly good. The evening was hot, but a ceiling fan had been installed. A Steinway grand piano was loaned by Jane Conwell Tuttle, and the Queen and her court served as ushers. The program included works by Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Grieg, Edward MacDowell, and Debussy. At the intermission Rolande Young Schrade introduced her new composition The Worthington Bi-centennial March<\/em> as a sing-along. Proceeds benefited the bicentennial steering committee.<\/p>\n

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Sheet music cover for The Worthington Bi-centennial March.<\/em> Rolande Young Schrade, an ASCAP member, published over a thousand compositions, including popular songs recorded by Teresa Brewer and Bobby Scott. Earlier in 1968, her song “The G.O.P. Can Save the U.S.A.” was introduced by the Women’s National Republican Club at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Ticket for The Quilting Party.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Tuesday, July 2: House tour and theatrical presentation, The Quilting Party<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A booklet with map was sold for a self-guided tour of 35 Worthington homes of historical and architectural interest. According to a newspaper preview, \u201cmany homeowners were reluctant to open their homes for public tours in view of the number of house-breaks here in recent years. None of the houses described in the book will be open and all will be viewed from the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Quilting Party<\/em>, staged at Town Hall, was a three-act play written and directed by Eva Fairman, the 82-year-old chairman of the Worthington Historical Society, who also played the lead role of Dinah. The play imagines the backstory of an actual keepsake quilt made in 1917 by members and friends of the Worthington Grange and exhibited at the Conwell School during the bicentennial. Each block in the \u201cautograph\u201d quilt was embroidered with the name of its maker, except for one \u201cmystery block.\u201d In the play, a group of ladies convene in Dinah\u2019s home to complete the quilt in a log cabin pattern. In the climactic scene, the maker of the mystery block is revealed as young Cora Bligh, an actual person. (In 1968 Bligh was living in Los Angeles and could not attend the bicentennial.) Nostalgic musical numbers were worked in, and according to one account, \u201cThe highlight of the evening came when Harry Bates, 83 years old, the last member of the old Worthington orchestra that played for so many dances here, sat down at the piano to accompany Jerry Robinson [on] \u2018Yes, Sir, She\u2019s My Baby.\u2019\u201dAttendance was standing room only, and afterwards Mrs. Fairman was presented with a bouquet of red roses.<\/p>\n

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Cast members of The Quilting Party.<\/em> L-R: Eva G. Fairman, Edith Hathaway, Gwendolyn Robinson, Lucy Mollison, Eleanor Porter, Alice Whittaker, Beverly Smith, Shirley Rida, Winifred Arcouette.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Modestow children (Larry, Keith, Jeannine, and Shelly) took the grand prize at the children’s parade for their miniature “Old Post Stage.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Wednesday, July 3: Youth Day and Musical Revue<\/strong><\/p>\n

The children\u2019s parade included the boy scouts, the girl scouts, the 4-H Club, and other youth groups. Children under six dressed as storybook characters, and children six to twelve dressed as historical figures, with prizes in each category.<\/p>\n

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Kevin Porter in costume on Youth Day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Worthington Bicentennial Musical Revue at Town Hall also went by \u201cThe Variety Show\u201d or \u201cAppearing Soon at the Casino,\u201d a reference to the Casino dining and dancing hall that burned down in 1931. Pat Nugent and her committee supervised 22 acts, starting with a grand march to Rolande Young Schrade\u2019s aforementioned Worthington Bi-centennial March<\/em>. Jean Humphrey featured her ballet pupils. Sally Wood directed a minuet by girls in formal gowns. Adults joined in with a \u201ccan-can by some of the village matrons\u201d and a \u201cmen\u2019s ballet including some of the town\u2019s leading citizens.\u201d Demand for tickets was so intense that a second show was added on short notice.<\/p>\n

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Program for the Worthington Bicentennial Musical Revue.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Scene from the Worthington Bicentennial Musical Revue.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Scene from the Worthington Bicentennial Musical Revue.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Musical performance from the Worthington Bicentennial Musical Revue.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The beard contestants. Standing, L-R: Courtney Wheeler, Henry Payson, Larry Mason, Harley Mason, Alan Rida, Win Donovan, Emerson Davis, Bobby Waryjasz, Arthur Rolland, Gary Granger. Kneeling, L-R: Dr. John Modestow, Bert Nugent, Ernie Nugent, Joe Sena.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thursday, July 4: Beard contest, chicken barbecue, baseball game, fireworks<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Card issued to beard contestants to protect their reputations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The beard contest, chicken barbecue, and baseball game were hosted by Worthington\u2019s Rod and Gun club. 500 meals were served. Emmy Davis took home the statuette for best beard, while best trimmed beard went to Laurence L. Mason, longest beard went to Joseph W. Sena, and scantiest beard went to Arthur Q. Smith. For the baseball game, the bearded ones formed a team and handily defeated the clean-shaven.<\/p>\n

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Baseball team fielded by beard contestants.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Bicentennial Queen Kristin Majkowski presents Emerson Davis with his beard trophy. Photo by Art Smith.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Harley Mason, Kristin Majkowski, and Bert Nugent.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The fireworks, described by a newspaper as \u201cone of the largest fireworks displays in the history of Western New England,\u201d attracted an estimated 10,000 spectators.<\/p>\n

Friday, July 5: Horse draw and two dances<\/strong><\/p>\n

The horse draw (also known as a \u201chorse pull\u201d) took place at “Golden Horse Meadows” (near the Golden Horse restaurant) on Route 112 below Sam Hill Road. The event drew 23 teams from five states, though some teams were mired in soft ground. Generations divided for two dances that evening: an \u201cOld Fashioned Square Dance\u201d at Town Hall, and a \u201cTeen Agers Dance\u201d with rock \u2019n\u2019 roll at Sena\u2019s Sales Barn.<\/p>\n

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The Melodares perform at the dance. Fred Emerson is on trombone, and Bill Mason is holding the mike.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Paraders in colonial garb.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Grand Parade scene.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Boy scouts marching in the parade.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Brownies on parade.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Saturday, July 6: Grand parade<\/strong><\/p>\n

Attendance at the Grand Parade was estimated by police at 18,000 to 20,000 people \u2013 more than 27 times the entire population of Worthington. The parade lasted more than two hours, with around 45 floats, several antique cars, and 17 bands, including the Westover Air Force Band. The route extended from the health center on Old North Road past the Corners to the junction of Route 112 and Radiker Road.<\/p>\n

Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Francis Sargent headed the state delegation, which also included Secretary of State John Davoren. Other dignitaries included U.S. Representative Silvio O. Conte and Northampton Mayor Wallace Puchalski. Worthington\u2019s three selectmen and Emmy Davis rode in a shiny black stagecoach pulled by two horses. Many viewers were impressed with the Connecticut governor\u2019s high-stepping horse guard.<\/p>\n

Scenes depicted on the floats included a smithy at his forge, women braiding rugs, an auction (Sena\u2019s Sales Barn), a sugar house (Windy Hill Farm), an old schoolhouse, and a church with a marrying parson. Parade-watchers could choose between buffet lunches at the Drummers Club, the Golden Horse restaurant, and the Worthington Golf Club.<\/p>\n

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Danny Tucker hauling the Worthington Grange float with a replica of the South Worthington post office in Ringville.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Stagecoach with Stanley Nash leading the oxen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Bicentennial Queen’s float with her official court in white gowns.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Queen’s float.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Float by the Texon company in Russell, Massachusetts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Rustic parade float, likely a smithy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Joyce Mollison driving the post office float. The arrow behind her reads, “Hi Folks, I’M MR. ZIP TO SPEED YOUR MAIL.” Zip codes were introduced in 1963.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Shriners paraded in their miniature antique cars.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Parade offering from the Huntington selectmen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Worthington Historical Society float recreated the Pearce (or Pierce, or Pearse) Tavern, where Lafayette spent the night in 1825. L-R: Toni Diamond, Barbara Fairman, Rich Fairman (in Barbara’s lap), Lynn Fairman (now Lynn Fairman Garland, at Barbara’s feet), Carol (Dee Dee) Diamond, Wayne Diamond (with back turned), Dick Fairman, Kenny Beach, Susan Fairman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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This float from the town of Northampton was set on fire after the parade by a teenage vandal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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This marcher painted his donkey with zebra stripes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to a newspaper account, \u201cOne neighbor of Mrs. Harry W. Mollison reports that the Mollison cows were quite moved by the music of the bands in Saturday\u2019s parade. She tells of how they would kick up their heels and carry their tails high each time a band passed by.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sunday, July 7: The shave-off<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Matchbook for the Worthington bicentennial. Other official merchandise included stationery, hats, and bumper stickers. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The bicentennial officially concluded with the Saturday parade, but a Sunday \u201cshave-off\u201d for the beard contestants at the Drummers Club served as the epilogue. John Penn, a barber from Huntington, gave the beards a preliminary clipping, with Brooks Carpenter as timekeeper. Safety razors were furnished by Fred Emerson, and awards for cleanest shave in the shortest time went to Arthur Rolland (first), Ernest Nugent (second), and Albert Nugent Jr. and Courtney Wheeler (tied for third). Meanwhile, the townspeople turned to disassembling bleachers, returning the portable toilets, and picking up litter.<\/p>\n

All of this was accomplished fifty years ago, when Worthington\u2019s population was just 658, half what it is today. Surely this year, for Worthington\u2019s 250th anniversary, we can once again rise to the occasion. After all, the next parade will probably have to wait until Worthington\u2019s 2068 Tercentenary. I was born in 1968, and don\u2019t plan to stick around that long.<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR<\/h5>\n

Evan Spring, a jazz historian and freelance editor serving as WHS president, lives on West Street with his wife Zo\u00eb and son Perry. He was an editor of the Annual Review of Jazz Studies<\/em> and Journal of Jazz Studies<\/em>, and for 23 years hosted a jazz radio program on WKCR-FM New York. His research focus is the New York jazz scene of 1955 to 1964.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Official recognition of the Worthington bicentennial from the Massachusetts legislature.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Posted March 17, 2018.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Evan Spring The upcoming celebrations for Worthington\u2019s 250th anniversary may seem a bit extravagant. Festivities will continue five days, from June 29 to July 3, with a pot luck dinner and dance, outdoor music, exhibits, art shows, a parade, fireworks. Are we dreaming too big for a small town? Not if we look back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pdAsoD-1Wn","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7463"}],"version-history":[{"count":120,"href":"https:\/\/www.worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7463\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8579,"href":"https:\/\/www.worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7463\/revisions\/8579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worthingtonhistoricalsociety.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}