Schuyler County Planned ‘Grand County Celebration’ for America’s Centennial
By Mike Scott
LANCASTER, Mo. — In the spring of 1876, as the United States prepared to mark 100 years since the Declaration of Independence, Schuyler County residents were urged to make the nation’s birthday a countywide occasion.
The call came through The Excelsior, which encouraged “all good citizens” to turn out for a Centennial Fourth of July celebration meeting at the courthouse in Lancaster. The message was direct: “By all means let us have a big county celebration this year.”
That spirit had already taken shape a few days earlier. On Wednesday, May 24, citizens of Schuyler County met at the office of J.M. Knott in Lancaster to begin making arrangements for what the newspaper called “the appropriate celebration of the centennial anniversary of American Independence.”
R. Caywood called the meeting to order. A.K. Cowgill was chosen chairman, and H.A. Miller was named secretary.
The group unanimously adopted a resolution declaring that the citizens of Schuyler County would celebrate the Centennial anniversary of American independence at Lancaster on July 4, 1876. The wording carried a bit of local pride and humor, stating the celebration would be held in Lancaster, “Philadelphia to the contrary notwithstanding.”
Philadelphia, of course, was the center of national attention in 1876. The great Centennial Exhibition opened there that year as the official national celebration of America’s first century. Newspapers across the country, including those in Schuyler County, carried notices about the exposition, its readiness, hotel accommodations and cost of admission.
One item printed in The Excelsior sought to settle doubts about whether the Centennial Exhibition buildings and grounds would be ready to open on May 10. Quoting an official report, the newspaper said the buildings and grounds were in a forward state and that the appointed opening day would be observed. The same report assured readers that Philadelphia had ample hotel and private accommodations for visitors, that charges were expected to be moderate, and that admission to the grounds would be 50 cents.
But while Philadelphia offered the grand national fair, Schuyler County was determined to have its own celebration at home.
The May 24 meeting adjourned with plans to meet again at the courthouse in Lancaster on Saturday, June 3, at 3 p.m. At that meeting, arrangements for a “grand county celebration” were to be completed. Citizens from throughout the county were “earnestly and cordially invited” to attend and take part.
The surviving notices show the organization of Schuyler County’s Centennial plans, but not the final result. No post-Fourth newspaper account has been found, so exactly how the Lancaster celebration unfolded — how many attended, who spoke, whether music was played, or whether weather interfered — remains unknown.
Still, the advance notices capture the spirit of the moment. Local leaders wanted the celebration to be more than a small-town observance. They wanted it to bring the county together for the nation’s 100th birthday.
The wording in the county’s resolution also shows how local communities viewed the Centennial. The national celebration might be centered in Philadelphia, but the meaning of the day belonged everywhere — in every courthouse square, village, churchyard and county seat where citizens gathered to remember the beginning of the republic.
For Schuyler County, that meant calling its people to Lancaster, organizing through public meetings, and planning a Fourth of July observance worthy of the nation’s first century.
Whether rain, crowds, speeches or silence marked the day, one thing is clear from the record that remains: in May 1876, Schuyler County intended to be part of America’s Centennial.
