Decoration Day in Grant City in 1900 Marred by Rowdy Behavior

It took Decoration Day some time to catch on in Worth County. The early 1870’s Grant City Star papers, for instance, showed no references to it. However, by 1900, there were two celebrations being promoted in the Worth County Times, one in Isadora and one in Grant City. That year, Decoration Day fell on a Wednesday, May 30th. Later, Decoration Day would become Memorial Day.

The program for Isadora at the cemetery was as follows:

–Assembling at the ground at 10 am;

–Music by martial band;

–Song;

–Prayer;

–Address, Rev. Van Horn of Des Moines;

–Song;

–Adjourn for dinner;

–Reassemble at 1:30;

–Martial music;

–Declamation by Mrs. Alice Watson;

–Song by Matie Strachan and sisters;

–Declamation by Maude Vandeusen;

–Song;

–Address, Challie Graham;

–Martial music;

–Decorating the graves;

–Ritualistic services by the Sons of Veterans.

J.A. West, Edith Shipley, and E.W. Allee were on the committee.

Grant City started off its program by firing a national salute and hoisting national colors on the Courthouse at sunrise. The assembly was to be sounded at the G.A.R. Hall at 9:30 am. The procession from the Square to the cemetery began at 10 am, with James Verbick as Chief Marshal. They went in the following order:

–Cornet band;

–Public schools;

–Snider’s Battery, Capt. T.C. Snider;

–Guard of Honor;

–Ellsworth Post #12 and all old soldiers;

–Spanish-American War veterans;

–Knights of Pythias;

–Other civic societies;

–Grant City Fire Company in uniform;

–Hearse with flowers;

–Citizens in procession.

Once they arrived at the cemetery, the following program was scheduled:

–Funeral dirge by the band;

–Song by the choir;

–Invocation, Rev. E.H. Bull;

–Ritualistic service by G.A.R.;

–Strewing the graves;

–Salute by Snider’s Battery.

Once this program was complete, the procession was scheduled to reform and march to Reunion Park. The following events were scheduled:

–Music by the band;

–Invocation, Rev. Brock;

–Song by choir;

–Welcome, Mayor Gibson;

–Address, Rev. Glenn.

Adjourn for dinner to reassemble at grand stand at 1:30 pm.

At the grand stand, the program was scheduled to continue as follows:

–Song by choir;

–Invocation, Rev. Martin;

–Address, Rev. E.H. Bull;

–Address, W.H. Crawford;

–Song by choir;

–Address, Rev. W.H. Harris;

–Short talks as called for by the audience;

–Benediction.

But not everything went according to plan that day, according to the May 31st Worth County Times. Around 1:30 that day, a heavy rainstorm set in and ended the exercises. 

And the actions of certain people that day drew the ire of the editor of the Worth County Times. Under the headline, “A Disgrace,” he wrote as follows:

“If the scenes enacted here yesterday and last night are to be repeated, we hope that in the name of decency and in respect to the memory of the patriotic dead, Grant City will have no more decoration services. Without knowing the date, a stranger would have concluded that the town was celebrating the 4th of July instead of paying solemn tribute to the nation’s heroes who lie sleeping beneath the sod, without the power to protest against the sacrilegious conduct of those whose hearts are steeled and consciences blunted to sympathy and humanity. If we had a city administration worth three whoops in purgatory, the county jail would have been overflowing this morning with men and boys who have yet to learn that decency and order are the constituent element of good citizenship. Laxity in enforcing the city laws has made hoodlumism rampant in our town. Everybody knows it who knows anything.”