By Abbie, Crossroads Discovery Center Intern
The United States 250th anniversary is coming up this July 4th! It brings with it a slew of events, programs, and historic conversations. But why is it important to celebrate? Is it even important? Birthdays can be used to educate the public on the history of their country, presenting an opportunity to discuss all lenses of history.
The United States is not the only one to throw itself a birthday bash. I was curious about how local milestones have been honored in my community. Come to find out, Hamilton County has been known to host grand anniversary celebrations that reflect its founding. What began as parades and contests meant primarily for entertainment has in recent years turned into celebrations of history, culture, and the many stories of all those who lived here before.
Hamilton County was formed in 1823, popularly founded by William Conner. One hundred years later, it celebrated its birthday in the streets of downtown Noblesville and beyond. Its centennial in 1923 brought to life parade floats, a pageant of the history of the county, and a flamboyant birthday cake featuring 100 pink candles.
1923 Hamilton County Centennial Celebration Collection, Hamilton East Public Library. Photo taken by Dr. Earl Brooks, 1923.
See more photos of the Hamilton County Centennial by visiting the Hamilton East Public Library’s collection on Indiana Memory.
The Hamilton County centennial, a two-day celebration, had many events and sights that made it feel like a grand party. Beyond this, there was also an effort made to incorporate history education through some storytelling about pioneers and a pageant. The pageant drew in enough people to fill 5,000 seats with hundreds standing on the outskirts. In theory, it was a great way to get the public interested in the heritage of the county. However, the mark was missed on quite a few historic details, and there were certainly more accurate attempts in the years to come.,
The sesquicentennial in 1973 was another major event. Folks lined the streets in period clothing, men grew facial hair in hopes of winning the beard contest, and many attended the ice cream social to close out the celebrations. This was a week-long event honoring 150 years of Hamilton County. There was yet another historic pageant at this birthday party; this one better than the last. There were more performances, making it accessible to more of the public, and there was more of an attempt to make it history-centered. It was, however, still far from historically accurate.
1973, Hamilton County Sesquicentennial Collection, Hamilton East Public Library. Donated by Sherry Faust.
The most recent milestone, 200 years old in 2023, was huge. This bicentennial had goals beyond birthday cakes and parades and chose to highlight all eras of history as accurately as possible. Programs fit into one of five categories: art, education, historic preservation, diversity and inclusion, and parks and environment. These categories were able to cover much of what makes up the county. All of Hamilton County’s nine townships were included in programming so that no community was overlooked, and more residents were included in the celebrations.
Read more about what was done for the Hamilton County Bicentennial.
Hamilton County Bicentennial Collection, Hamilton County Historical Society. Photo taken by Daniel Grose, 2023.
A good birthday party does not only celebrate heritage and engage the community but also accurately depicts the history our county is built on. Being able to highlight these stories should be a great joy of the county, such as it was at our bicentennial.
Looking to see how you can celebrate 250 years of America in Hamilton County? Find more information on historic sites to visit and events to attend. If you are interested in how Hamilton County and the state of Indiana have honored their past anniversaries, we have an exhibit on display here at the Hamilton East Public Library. Visit the Crossroads Discovery Center on the second floor to learn more about these events and their connection to local history.
About the Author
Abbie is a senior at Ball State University studying Public History. She is currently interning at the Hamilton East Public Library in the Crossroads Discovery Center where she uses her research and writing skills to do archival, genealogy, and local history work