125 years ago – June 20, 1901
Fourth of July Will Be Honored in Healdsburg. Partial Program of the Literary Exercises and Events for the Day.
The committees in charge of the celebration are using best efforts to make the event a success in every way. The program so far as outlined is as follows: Salute of 13 guns at sunrise. 10 a.m. – Grand school, fraternal, industrial and bicycle parade. 11 a.m. – Literary exercises at Luce’s Park, the program of which is not yet completed. Captain C. L. Kimball will be chairman of the day, Dr. C. N. Thomas will deliver the oration, and Rev. J. C. Burgess will offer prayer. The reader of the Declaration of Independence and the vocalist for the “Star Spangled Banner,” will be announced next week. There will also be music by a double quartette and recitations. 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.—Basket picnic. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Dancing and ball game. 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Squeedunk parade in town. 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – Athletic sports and games around the plaza, tug of war and bicycle races. 9:30 p.m. – Display of fireworks, followed by a ball at Truitt’s theatre by Healdsburg band. James Petray will act as Grand Marshall of the parade.
75 years ago – June 21, 1951
Recorded Address by Scudder Will Be Played at Benefit Dance
Sparked by a request of Smith Robinson, member of the First Battalion Committee, Congressman Hubert B. Scudder made a recording of his address regarding the benefit dance for Healdsburg’s adopted battalion, which will be held Saturday night, June 23 at the American Legion Hall. Proceeds from the dance, Hawaiian in theme, will go toward buying snacks, needed items and postage to send packages to Korea. The recorded address will be played at the dance.
Scudder remarked in his address: ‘‘You, the citizens of Healdsburg, have instigated a trend, which, it is hoped, will be followed by other communities. . . the gifts you collect and dispatch to your adopted battalion are but tokens of your appreciation. But to the weary infantrymen who receive them – they receive an air of magnitude and great importance. It is the personal duty of us here at home to do our best to brighten the lives of those who are fighting – and dying – for our democracy and its principles of freedom. But it took you, the citizens of Healdsburg, to point out how this task can be undertaken on a larger scale, and in so doing you have set an outstanding example for others to follow. In this commendable venture you deserve the thanks of a grateful nation.”
50 years ago – June 17, 1976
It’s September in June – That’s What Firefighters Are Saying This Summer
This season’s unusually dry winter has left Sonoma County hillsides so dry that firefighters are saying conditions are already like they get by the end of the firefighting season in normal years. The season rainfall to date in Healdsburg is only 16.81 inches. The lowest recorded rainfall was in 1884-85, 16.35 inches. The modern record is 16.83 in 1923-24, so the city could break that record if no rain falls for the rest of the month, when the new weather year begins.
The lack of rainfall last winter has also raised concerns about water shortages. Releases from the Coyote Dam reservoir will continue to feed the Russian River, and thus abate water concerns for Healdsburg and other cities which draw water from that source, but outlying areas relying upon ground water sources may suffer shortages. California Division of Forestry firefighters are calling this “September in June,” and unless county residents take a very protective attitude about their wildlands, this summer could turn into a disaster.
