So this year’s celebration was not the 4th of July that we all know and love but it was memorable, I hope. The 4th we all know and love has changed much over the years …Recently at the request of a Forks Forum reader, I have been looking through the Forks Forum archives and sharing for the corresponding week 25, 50, and 75 years ago. I missed last week so for this week a look back at Forks and the 4th.
With the help of a newspaper called the Port Angeles Herald, which was in print from 1915 – 1920, I am even going to go back to the Forks 4th of July 1920.
A Look back ….This week in the Forks Forum
Twenty-five years ago in 1995 a parade entry by the Quileute Tribe, a canoe, won the Sweepstakes Award. Pay-n-Save Foods won the Chairman’s Choice Award. The best log truck ribbon went to a 1990 Peterbilt from Swanson Trucking. In the Kiddie’s Playday events in the 2-3-year-olds 3-legged race, Kenneth Hurn came in first, Ashley Coyle was second and Chris Weaver was third.
In 1970, fifty years ago …Karen LaChapelle was crowned queen of the 4th festivities. The new arena in Tillicum Park had just been completed and featured motorcycle scrambles, a log show, and a demolition derby. The derby in previous years had been held in a field up Calawah Way, across from where Aldergrove Mobile Home Park is now located.
The Tourists of the Day were the Tweten family, all six of them, of Kingston, WA. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Fraker were selected as the “Old Timers” for the parade, representing the Pioneer Club.
In 1945 servicemen from Quillayute NAAS (Naval Auxiliary Air Station) put on an airshow for the 4th of July! Children’s races were held and they all got free ice cream courtesy of Angeles Cooperative Creamery. According to the story in the Forks Forum, the Forks girl’s baseball team beat the NAAS team 31-5! A dance was held at the American Legion Hall and the entire 4th celebration that year was sponsored by the American Legion.
Searching the July 7, 1920, Port Angeles Herald for a story on the Forks 4th I found an accusation, good-naturedly, claiming that Forks had tried to kidnap the mayor of Port Angeles on the 4th of July. The mayor was in the west end for a 4th of July baseball game. The kidnapping plan included gluing the PA mayor to a seat in a local restaurant. When he tried to get up to go home…he was stuck to the chair. But … they got him loose and he was able to return to PA unharmed.
Looking forward to Forks 4th of July 2021 …I think.
Christi Baron, Editor
And one late..last minute Grin …
Fireworks Grin
We live at the end of Wiley Street, off Page Rd. We could see Russell Rd and beyond…
We took our lawn chairs out and sat on the road and watched all our neighbors fireworks, for about an hour and a half.
We didn’t know which way to look! The moon was peeking out of the clouds while they were going off. At the end, it was a nice big full moon. Thank you so much neighbors for all the great fireworks.
Lisa and husband
