THROWBACK THURSDAY: Philipsburg’s Sesquicentennial Celebration

Summertime is always a time for celebrations. And it’s just as true for Philipsburg, a close-knit community proud of its history.

With its upcoming Heritage days, the town has had many celebrations to honor its background. Most notably was its sesquicentennial in July of 1947.

It was a week-long event with daily activities and five different parades – one each evening. It took many months to plan and numerous committees to address every aspect for the week.

A headquarters was set up in the Phillips Hotel, where you could get information, register as a visitor and pick up a few keepsakes like key chains, souvenir booklets and stationery.

The expected large crowds coming into town sparked ads in the Daily Journal asking residents to please offer any spare rooms they may have to visitors.

A committee was also formed to survey local eateries and how they would handle feeding the large crowds. All of the merchants in town were expected to have their storefronts decorated for the event.

Two of the biggest parades for the week were the Industrial Day Parade and the Founders Day Parade.

The Industrial Day parade was five miles long, and consisted of 145 units showcasing local businesses, heavy equipment and transportation in the area. Many residents were in awe with the size of the machinery.

The Founders Day parade depicted the historical highlights of the last 150 years and had more than 30,000 people lining the streets.

On Friday that week, 4,000 people gathered at Cold Stream Dam for an aquatic show put on by the American Red Cross.

It featured correct swimming methods and also a synchronized swimming demonstration. It was a week filled with fun and celebrations and not one to be forgotten.

The first picture is of Scotty Woods, delivery man for Morningstar Bakery ready for the parade. The second picture is a parade float advertising Curtis Park