July 4, 2023
“When the Glorious Fourth Was a Rip-Snorter” written by John Parris.
Joe L. Hartley, The 90-Year Old Apostle of Grandfather Mountain, remembers when the Glorious Fourth was celebrated in rip-snortin’ fashion in these parts.
“Back when I was a young fellow,” he recalled, “we had some Fourth-o’-July get-togethers that make the ones nowadays look like a Sunday School picnic and it a-raining.
This was primitive country then. A land of saddlebags and ox-teams and wagon roads, where folks took their jollification in a whole swarm of bees–corn-shucking’s, quiltin’s, bean-stringin’s, and houseraisin’s.
The Fourth of July was the only holiday observed in these parts with any sort of organized community jollification. Which wasn’t much. Folks just gathered and worked out their fun on the spot.
It wasn’t until the Linville Company started to develop a summer resort here that the occasion took on any real organized pattern.
I never will forget the Fourth of July celebration we had here in 1892. Eseeola Inn had just been opened and there was a slew of high class folks—some of the wealthiest in the United States—staying there.
Thomas F. Parker, who was the president of the Linville Company, organized the affair. He figured it would be something to entertain his guests, which included Charles Dudley Warner, the distinguished author, Talcott Williams of The Philadelphia Press, and E.G. Rathbone, fourth assistant postmaster general of the United States.
Parker had handbills printed advertising the celebration which was to include an ox race and a sack race, all to be performed by the natives around Grandfather Mountain.
Lured by the prospect of winning a handsome prize in the form of a handful of silver dollars, the men and boys hereabout started training weeks in advance for the races. One boy stole his mother’s soap and lathered his father’s old sow to practice on.
Harrison Calloway and Will Berry took the Calloway oxen laid’em off a lane at Linville Gap, and went into training for the ox race. Others did the same, including my brother Roy. I left the ox racing to the others and practiced up for the barrel race.
Come the morning of the Fourth and such a crowd as the county had never seen was gathered here. Folks had come from miles around. Come in by foot and by wagon and buggy and sled. I reckon there was more than a thousand folks, not countin’ the ones at the inn.
Just across what is now the highway, in front of the hotel was the race track that day. The folks at the inn crowded onto the porches in their finery and settled in for the races. There’s never been anything like that ox race. I reckon there was a dozen or so young fellows that lined up on their oxen at the starting place. And when the white handkerchief was dropped they set out in the wildest confusion you ever saw.
They were mean, wild oxen, and they leaped and bucked and kicked up their heels as the young fellows applied the switch. In no time at all there was busted saddles and riders rolling in the dust. Some of the fellows went flyin’ through the air like they was shot out of a gun. Oh, it was sight to see. My brother Roy got bucked off and thrown in a thicket. He went one way and his ox went the other. When Roy come walkin’ back in, a-limpin’ and his nose a-bleedin’, somebody asked him what happened to his ox and he said he reckoned it had gone to hell.
Harrison Calloway played a trick on some of the other fellows in the race by getting his girl friend to put chestnut burrs under the oxen’s tails which caused the oxen to go wild and then stop dead still. Harrison won the race, and I reckon there would have been some fists flyin’ if the guests at the hotel hadn’t made up a purse and awarded the other ox riders as well.
After the ox race, there was the barrel race. Don’t know if you ever saw a barrel race. I don’t know who thought it up, but it was a humdinger.
They took a dozen big barrels, open at both ends, and put’em on their side about 25 or 50 yards apart over a course that wound about the town. Each fellow was given three eggs. To win, you had to out run everybody, racin’ from one barrel to the next, crawlin through the barrels, without breakin’ the eggs. I was pretty fleet of foot and I figured I was goin’ to come off with the prize. In a foot-race, nobody had ever beaten me.
Well, I got off from the startin’ line ahead of the others and managed to get through three barrels before trouble caught up with me. Somebody had driven some nails into one of the barrels and the first thing I knew the nails grabbed my shirt and there I was flat on my face and with my hands full of broken eggs. Dave Stover, a waiter at the inn, who was slim as a fence rail and had hands big as hams, won the barrel race.
Just about all the men and boys got in the hog race. They had caught a wild hog and greased it with lard. It was a wild one, if ever there was.
When the time come to turn it loose, there was about three hundred of us gathered about in a big circle. We were pushin’ and jostlin’ each other for position when the judge opened the pen and let the pig loose.
That hog was like lightnin’–greased lightnin’. It was all over the place and so were we fellows. Pretty soon the hog broke out of the circle of milling men and boys and headed toward the woods with all of us in pursuit.
Unbeknowin’ to the rest of, Harrison Calloway had sanded his hands. Coated’em good and heavy. He layed back in the beginnin’, which none of us realized until it was all over, and let us run that hog till it was tired out. I run it for three miles, had my hands on it a dozen times and couldn’t hold it. Well, right at the last when I thought the hog was goin’ to fall in its tracks and I could get it, here come Harrison and he latched on to it and it was all over.
It was some Fourth of July. Besides the races there was a big picnic dinner and speech-makin’, a heap of whoopin’ and hollerin’ and nippin’ of the jug. The late Shepherd M. Dugger, who wrote a couple books about the Linville country, was the speaker that day and his subject was Wild Oxen, Wild Hogs, and Tame Men.”
The old man paused and shook his head.
“Folks,” he said, “just don’t celebrate the Fourth of July any more like we did when I was a young fellow.”
I hope you enjoyed Parris’s piece about July 4th as much as I do! I love the language throughout the story. I’ve heard Pap use the word jollification but not anyone else that I can think of. And what about that Harrison Calloway and his sneaky girlfriend—good grief they meant to win no matter what.
July 4, 2023
Last night’s video: Camping at Rattler Ford.
Tipper
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What a story! Have to love all the stories that John Parris wrote. I’ve never heard of jollification either and I married a man by the last name of Jolley!
Boy howdy what a story! I reckon pranks were to be expected back then.
We will get together for a meal. It’s so hot we’re not doing the cookout as usual, but will still have some good food! We’re expecting rain tomorrow evening so that might put a damper on things. We’ve never celebrated big, but have attended a few shows, or the nephews set off fireworks. As Mr. Macklin said, let’s make it memorable so they have something good to talk about later!! God bless all y’all!!
Loved your camping trip! Good times!
Oh my goodness ! That was entertaining to say the least , lol ! I don’t think I could handle that much jollification ! Love & prayers for all ! Thank you for sharing:)
Happy Independence Day everyone! God bless the USA!
“God Bless America” Happy 250th.
God bless Papaw Tony.
I remember my daddy telling stories of his daddy’s family celebrating the 4th of July. Back before cars:) Communities came together and most people walked or rode in a wagon or on a horse or mule. One thing for sure they LOVED this country and I do too!! God bless the USA!!
Loved seeing your camping trip and the views as you took us along in the car were beautiful of the mountains and lakes. Brought back memories of special camping trips with my parents and our little boys along too. I must say though I really enjoyed that pop-up camper so much more than a tent:) Matt was really a pro at setting up your tent. God bless him for taking such good care of his family.
Oh – I watched the latest Pressley Girls channel today and it is sad that Katie had to actually say they were putting in boundaries. Evil is out there and any body that would say something inappropriate or bad about Katie, Corie or any of you, well they are just crazy. No one should show up at your house or their house, call or write letters with inappropriate intentions. I’m about as old as Granny and I’m just flabbergasted with the way some people act. Block them on your channel and on your phones. You don’t need to reply to letters or calls. God bless you all!!
Makes sense to me that at the time and the place activities would have been more rough and tumble as a matter of course. Looking the other way, from them to us, they might well think we are too tame these days. Pretty clear the events would most likely result in dirty and/or torn clothes a well as minor injuries. Kinda like what country kids do only done by grownups.
What a great story to share! I remember seeing pig runs like that where they greased the pig for people to try to catch. It was usually at a fund raising event so they sell tickets to have a chance to catch the pig. I’ve seen it during Fourth of July fairs too. Then that was all when I was younger. I can’t say I’ve seen them since I’ve gotten older, but I don’t go out to the fairs like I use to either. We started watching the July 4th fireworks on TV the past five years and as much as I’d love to go out this year to celebrate our wonderful country’s 250th birthday celebration, it’s just way to hot. We were at 102 degrees yesterday in my neck of the woods in NC. They say it felt like 110 and it wouldn’t surprise me if it did. I had a doctor appointment yesterday morning and by the time I got out of the office I thought I was going into an oven when I walk out of the office. It was extremely breathtakingly hot!!!
Happy 250th July 4th to everyone! Stay safe, stay as cool as you can and appreciate everything our great American country stands for Freedom, Faith and Family, (just to summing it up without going into everything the Declaration of Independence stands for).
Oh, one more fun thing, if you remember the song “Saturday in the Park” by Chicago it mentions 4th of July on a Saturday, so good song to listen to as we reminiscing over our younger years. The July 4th only falls on a Saturday once every 5-6 years. I think that makes our America’s 250th celebration even more special.
God bless America!!!
What an interesting story of years long ago! Praying you all have a safe and healthy 4th of July!
“If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying…”, a common maxim in auto racing, especially in NASCAR, but I reckon that it’s true in July Fourth jollifications as well.
That was a humdinger of a celebration for sure. My family never celebrated the 4th of July in any way other than taking a watermelon and a salt shaker to a wide spot by the road and having a picnic in the back of Daddy’s truck. Fireworks were commonly used by others during Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but never on the 4th.
According to Google, the Mountain Rest, SC community is still having their annual July 4th Hillbilly Festival. I have never been to it, but from what I understand there will be a greased pole, bluegrass music and other oldtime events. At one time they had a greased pig event, but they may no longer do this because of the stink raised by some of these animals rights organizations.
That was certainly a knee slapper of a story!! Those folks, both the spectators and the participants, had a time I’m sure they never forgot!! Has anyone ever looked into Harrison to see what he “grew up to be”? I’m bettin’ he was a politician. Happy pre 4th to you all. Stay cool & stay safe. This is our last last, so far, of the emergency heat warning. Flood stages are also going down. West central IL has certainly had its fair share of bad weather so far this year but hopefully it’s on its way to evening out and I can just enjoy my yard, flowers and garden. Just gotta keep my mowers going!
Just think in 1892 the richest people in the world had no electricity or air conditioning, even the poorest people now can live more comfortable than the richest back then. wow!
Happy 4th of July!! we’re here to see the 250th wow. Everyone be safe and enjoy every moment.
Happy Independence Day!
When I was a child we lived in the city. We would go to the drive-in at dusk and see fireworks and a movie. It was a treat to see a movie and the anticipation of it made the day take forever to finally get dusk! We’d get to wear our pajamas because we’d be asleep before the movie was over. The fireworks were beautiful. We wouldn’t even remember being led to bed when we returned home. I’m sad drive-ins are a thing of the past. There may be a few left but not close to me. It was a way to take the whole family to the movies for a reasonable price. Blessings to all of you and to America
I live in Avon Park, Florida. Yoday begins a weekend of multiple celebrations rolled into one, for better or worse. Of course we all will be celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of our Independence. Additionally, this year, and in particular, we will be celebrating the Centennial year of Avon Park as a city. Now historically, the community was “founded” in 1886, (I like to joke folks back then never knew it was “losted”), but the town wasn’t incorporated through the State of Florida until January 1, 1926. As a former Mayor of Avon Park and a resident since 1974 after my parents moved us south from northern Iowa, I hope the celebrations are memorable. As a great grandpa who is pushing 68, I, like many of you long for days long gone and more simple times. But let us pause to realize that these days, today, and yes, even our tomorrows, are our children’s, grandchildren’s, and our greats, “Good old days”. Let us be busy about the business of making sure there is something good about these days for them to reflect upon with fondness when they get to be our age (assuming that the Lord continues to tarry). Be well, y’all. Have a safe and Blessed, Independence Day.
I loved reading this! Happy 250th Anniversary of this great country of ours. May God bless us all.
I remember hearing about some of these things on July 4th. Some of my memories when I was growing up…the cotton mills closing for one week’s vacation, going with my family on the day of the 4th to Oconee State Park and having a picnic at the first shed as you entered the park, and watching a ski show one time at Broadway Lake, Anderson, SC. We had very little money to spend for going anywhere. For some of the better off ones in my area would go to Myrtle Beach, but most of the time for us the only difference was Daddy being home from not having to work on his job for a week. Going to the park for a picnic was one of the biggest things we ever did. I remember my Mother telling about the area horse races that would be held on the 4th when she was growing up.
Randy, you AR right. Crooked River SP.is Georgia. I kinda thought I was off on that somehow.
Hi Tipper. Sounds like Harrison Calloway was a dirty, lowdown cheater. I have been past Eseeola Lodge/Spa/Golf Club many times over the years. When I was little, I imagined it must be full of Faries and Wee Folk cause it looked like something out of a story book. TY for the story. I really enjoyed it. Love ya.
It’s interesting that there is no disqualification for cheating. Seems that was expected and part of the fun. I am at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris. Tn the next two days showing my dried apple dolls for their anvil shoot. Using gunpowder to shoot an anvil high in the air was another way some of the older communities celebrated the fourth. It’s fun to watch and makes a pretty loud boom!
What a great story! Happy July 4th.
Wouldn’t you live to know what all if the guests at the inn said about this July 4th to-do?!
Happy 4th!!!! God Bless the USA!!!!!