WEBVTT - Independence Day, 1907

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<v Speaker 1>This is Lee Habib, and this is our American stories

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<v Speaker 1>and all show long. Today we're celebrating Independence Day here

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<v Speaker 1>on our American stories and all the things that make

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<v Speaker 1>our country the special place that it is. Up next

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<v Speaker 1>to story from our regular contributor out of ten forty

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<v Speaker 1>who in Des Moines, Joy Neil Kidney Joy is the

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<v Speaker 1>author of Leora's Letters and Leora's Dexter's stories, and today

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<v Speaker 1>she shares with us a story entitled.

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<v Speaker 2>Independence Day nineteen oh seven.

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<v Speaker 3>Take it away, Joy, Independence Day nineteen seven. What a

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<v Speaker 3>familiar photo this was to me as a child, shared

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<v Speaker 3>and Laura Goff and all ten children who survived into adulthood.

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<v Speaker 3>But it wasn't until my grandmother, Leora, the oldest daughter,

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<v Speaker 3>died and left her handwritten memoirs that I learned the

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<v Speaker 3>story behind the photo. Her memories even lured my sister

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<v Speaker 3>and me to pay a visit to the county seat

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<v Speaker 3>town of Ottoman, Iowa. We always had a big celebration

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<v Speaker 3>the fourth of July, Leora wrote, Nearly every town or

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<v Speaker 3>berg had something doing. We used to get off at daybreak,

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<v Speaker 3>get our work done, farm chores, and get ready to

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<v Speaker 3>go to town with a wagon or buggy to see the

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<v Speaker 3>big parade and stay till the fireworks and then do

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<v Speaker 3>farm chores. When we got home. We were all tired,

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<v Speaker 3>but glad to have a big day the fourth of

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<v Speaker 3>July when I was sixteen years old. She said, that

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<v Speaker 3>would have been nineteen seven. The citizens of Ottoman were

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<v Speaker 3>awakened that morning by firecrackers in the boom of the

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<v Speaker 3>old cannon, saluting the forty five five states comprising our

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<v Speaker 3>great Republic. Mob was probably frying chicken and packing the

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<v Speaker 3>picnic basket while the older boys were helping Paw hitch

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<v Speaker 3>up the horses. The older girls would have helped the

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<v Speaker 3>four younger ones button suspenders and high top shoes driving

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<v Speaker 3>the eight miles over dirt roads across the Nishnabotna River

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<v Speaker 3>to Ottobon gofs made it in time for the parade.

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<v Speaker 3>They would have made arrangements for the horses, joining probably

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<v Speaker 3>dozens of others along with their wagons and buggies. The

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<v Speaker 3>old newspaper said that the Ottoman Marshall Band met the train,

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<v Speaker 3>which had steamed and huffed into the station from the

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<v Speaker 3>south along Market Street which is now Highway seventy one.

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<v Speaker 3>Off stepped families with their dinner baskets. Members of the

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<v Speaker 3>Atlantic Cornet Band and the Days of were Senator Shirley

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<v Speaker 3>Gilliland of Glenwood, a handsome young man pictured with a

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<v Speaker 3>large mustache. At nine forty five, the Atlantic Band gave

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<v Speaker 3>a concert of high class music. A chorus sang patriotic songs.

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<v Speaker 3>An hour later, a reverend offered a prayer, and a

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<v Speaker 3>schoolboy recited Lincoln Gettysburg's speech, then in a strong voice

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<v Speaker 3>and with a commanding personality. According to the article, Senator

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<v Speaker 3>Gilliland made a forty minute address that held the attention

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<v Speaker 3>of the crowd, circumspect in character and conduct, with the

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<v Speaker 3>only criticism the paper said that the speech was too short.

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<v Speaker 3>Picnicking began at noon. Afterwards, the men would have checked

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<v Speaker 3>on the horses, and the youngsters and the older folks

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<v Speaker 3>probably napped on old quilts while we were eating our dinner.

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<v Speaker 3>Wrote at least seventy years later, the folks thought of

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<v Speaker 3>having a family picture taken while we were all together.

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<v Speaker 3>Pa was the only one of the men or boys

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<v Speaker 3>who had a tie on, and Rolla wanted to go barefoot,

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<v Speaker 3>as he claimed his shoes hurt his feet. I expect

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<v Speaker 3>they did as he went barefoot most always. So we

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<v Speaker 3>went to the picture studio for the picture and Rolla's

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<v Speaker 3>bare feet showed. It was the only family picture we

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<v Speaker 3>ever had taken of us all. Her mother Laura was

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<v Speaker 3>pregnant then with Virgil Cleon, who would only live one year.

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<v Speaker 3>In the photo, Laura is wearing her wedding ring on

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<v Speaker 3>her middle finger, just as she did as an elderly woman.

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<v Speaker 3>Sports contests began, at one point thirty races, even one

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<v Speaker 3>for fat men of at least two hundred ten pounds.

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<v Speaker 3>Shot put, tug of war, sack race, pole vault, wheelbarrow race,

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<v Speaker 3>a drill team at a baseball game between Audobon and

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<v Speaker 3>Dedham were on the grounds near the electric light plant.

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<v Speaker 3>Audubon won seven to one. There were cash prizes, but

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<v Speaker 3>no golfs were named among the winners. Although the sun

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<v Speaker 3>was hot and the mercury ran up to ninety five

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<v Speaker 3>degrees in the government thermometer, there was a delightful breeze

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<v Speaker 3>in that hilltop park, which is still a lovely area

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<v Speaker 3>to day. Well into her eighties or early nineties, Leora

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<v Speaker 3>Gough remembered the day ended with a rain shower in

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<v Speaker 3>the late p m. There were no paved roads, so

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<v Speaker 3>we came home in the mud. Ruby wore white shoes

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<v Speaker 3>and she got the muddy, but all seemed happy anyway.

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<v Speaker 3>Is there any wonder that this old photograph taken Independence

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<v Speaker 3>Day nineteen seven is one of my earthly treasures and

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<v Speaker 3>the story behind it made for a very pleasant day

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<v Speaker 3>trip to the county seat town of Ottoman, Iowa.

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<v Speaker 1>And great job on that piece by Monty, And a

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<v Speaker 1>special thanks to joy Neil Kidney for all she does

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<v Speaker 1>here and just a treasure, by the way, What an

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<v Speaker 1>idea for someone to be the memoirst in a family too?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, our American Stories hopefully prompts you to have

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<v Speaker 1>your American stories, your families American stories, and your towns

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<v Speaker 1>American stories. Send them to our Americanstories dot com. That's

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<v Speaker 1>Ouramerican Stories dot com. As you can tell there's some

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<v Speaker 1>of our favorites. We say that, but we really mean it.

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<v Speaker 1>By the way, she noted that in nineteen oh seven

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<v Speaker 1>there were forty five states. Oklahoma had just missed the cut.

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<v Speaker 1>They came in in nineteen oh seven in November, and

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<v Speaker 1>of course New Mexico in nineteen twelve. Arizona followed in

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen twelve, Alaska in nineteen fifty nine, and Hawaii followed

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<v Speaker 1>in August of fiftyeenne making it fifty if there was

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<v Speaker 1>a time when it was forty five, and there was

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<v Speaker 1>a time when it was thirteen, and there were a

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<v Speaker 1>time when there was none and the Declaration of Independence

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<v Speaker 1>is what we're really celebrating here today on Independence Day.

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<v Speaker 1>We should all read it together, by the way, and

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<v Speaker 1>we read it together as a team. Every show, every

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<v Speaker 1>Independence Day, you should do it as a family.

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<v Speaker 2>This is our American Stories.

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<v Speaker 1>More of our Independence Day special continues after these messages. Folks,

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<v Speaker 1>if you love the stories we tell about this great country,

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<v Speaker 1>and especially the stories of America's rich past, know that

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<v Speaker 1>all of our stories about American history, from war to innovation,

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<v Speaker 1>culture and faith, are brought to us by the great

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<v Speaker 1>folks at Hillsdale College, a place where students study all

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<v Speaker 1>the things that are beautiful in life and all the

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<v Speaker 1>things that are good in life. And if you can't

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<v Speaker 1>get to Hillsdale, Hillsdale will come to you with their

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<v Speaker 1>free and terrific online courses.

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<v Speaker 2>Go to Hillsdale dot edu to learn more.