Puss Reboots: Blog: July 2009: Weekly Geeks 2009-25: Celebrating Independence

Weekly Geeks 2009-25: Celebrating Independence: 07/04/09

The toddler in the pool is me. This was during a July 4th "Block Party" in either 1975 or 1976. The woman in the green bathing suit is my mom. The other girl was a neighbor.

This week the Weekly Geeks site wants those of us who are Americans to talk about the 4th of July, our Independence Day. Rather than wax on about how boring our 4th of July is going to be this year (no plans to see fireworks because the kids are too young, no parties and basically a day spent at home), I want to tell you about the Bicentennial.

The year of the Bicentennial I was two going on three so my memories are very vague. I can remember the 200 year birthday party being a big thing that started early and went late. Celebrations really got started in about 1975 and they petered out in 1977. The BIG DAY though July 4, 1976.

My memories involve three things: a patriotically painted train (and seeing it pass below my grandmother's backyard), snoopy painted fire hydrants done up in patriotic colors and costumes, and a huge street parade with lots and lots of marching bands.

The American Freedom Train:
Although the golden era of American passenger trains was over, a magnificent restored locomotive from that era spent 1975 and 1976 traveling the lower forty-eight states. It made it's stop in California in December 1975, stopping first in San Francisco where it was on display in the Presidio. From there it made its way south to San Diego, staying from January 14-18, 1976. From there it headed north again to San Juan Capistrano. All trains heading north from the station in San Diego pass through Rose Canyon that bisects University City. My grandmother's house sat right on the edge of the canyon and we could have easily watched the train go by.

To learn more about this train and the journey it took, please see the Freedom Train site.

This Snoopy hydrant isn't from San Diego. I found it online to give you an idea of what they looked like.

Snoopy Painted Fire Hydrants:
All throughout the country different cities and groups ended up painting their fire hydrants in patriotic colors. It wasn't part of some master plan, as far as I can tell. It just sort of happened as people got caught up in the excitement of the upcoming Bicentennial.

In San Diego and especially around the Hillcrest area I remember there being Snoopy painted fire hydrants. In some of them he was also decorated with stars and stripes and on the fancier ones he was dressed in period dress.

The hydrants I think have all been painted over since then but they sure were cute.

San Diego Parade:
The traditional big parade in San Diego isn't in Downtown; it's in Coronado. In the 1980s my family participated a number of times by driving our 1923 Buick touring car decked out in flags and red white and blue paper.

For whatever reason though (and it could be complete fabrication on my part), I remember the Bicentennial parade being Downtown. I remember staring up at all the skyscrapers and sitting on my grandfather's shoulders.

It's possible though, that I'm remembering two parades, the traditional Coronado one (which is worth seeing if you're ever in the San Diego area on the 4th) and a Downtown parade for the train. See the train station is right in the heart of Downtown, near the skyscrapers. I don't know if San Diego had a big celebration for the train but being a military town, it probably did.

Those are my vague memories of 1976. That's also the only photograph I'll ever post of myself in a bathing suit.

weekly geeks

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