Central Avenue has witnessed hundreds of parades over the years, from patriotic marches and Arbor Day celebrations to stock show parades and the annual AppleJack Festival. (Courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation.)
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FESTIVALS
Central Avenue has witnessed hundreds of parades over the years, from patriotic marches and Arbor Day celebrations to stock show parades and the annual AppleJack Festival. (Courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation.)
The stock show parade of October 20, 1908, featured patriotic regalia. While today’s parades generally run eastward from Sixteenth Street to Sixth Street on Central Avenue, parades used to travel in the opposite direction. (Courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation.)
Residents of the upstairs apartments on Central Avenue enjoy a sweeping view of the many parades downtown. Even though the automobile had arrived in Nebraska City seven years prior to this 1908 stock show parade, horses and wagons were still the primary modes of transportation. Stagecoaches, like the one pictured here, were used primarily for show. (Courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation.)
Stock show parades were held in 1908 and 1909. Spectators gathered up and down Central Avenue, including on the Otoe County Courthouse lawn, to watch the parade. (Courtesy of Dorris Sackles.)
For every parade, participants went all out in decorating their floats, as evidenced by the Elks Club entry. Patriotic themes were popular. (Courtesy of Dorris Sackles.)
Local businesses and organizations used parades to connect with the public. The 1917 Arbor Day Parade featured both an outfit from the Royal Highlanders (above) and the Kregel Windmill Factory service truck (below). (Above, courtesy of the Nebraska City Historical Society; below, the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum.)
The Nebraska City Volunteer Fire Department’s 1884 steam pumper had long been retired by the time this photograph was taken at the Apple Harvest parade on October 9, 1936. It was still a crowd favorite. (Courtesy of the Nebraska City Museum of Firefighting.)
In 1923, Joy Morton transferred the ownership of the Arbor Lodge mansion and the surrounding grounds to the State of Nebraska to be maintained as a museum and park. To commemorate the event, a celebration called Transfer Day was planned, complete with parties, speeches, and a parade. (Courtesy of the Nebraska City Historical Society.)
A special parade was held in 1963 to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the opening of the American Meter Plant. The parade traveled west from Sixth Street and Central Avenue all the way through town to the American Meter Plant. (Courtesy of Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce.)
The Nebraska City Calico and Cowhide Square Dance Club was featured in the 1963 American Meter parade. The most popular parade in modern times is the annual AppleJack Festival parade held every September. A highlight of the parade is a marching band competition. (Courtesy of Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce.)
Every spring since 1872, Nebraska City has recognized Arbor Day. It is now celebrated in all 50 states and in many countries throughout the world. (Courtesy of the Arbor Day Foundation.)
On the last Friday of each April, all the schoolchildren in Nebraska City are welcomed to Arbor Lodge for a special Arbor Day program. They learn about the history of J. Sterling Morton and hear tips on how to care for trees. As they leave to head back to school, every child receives a free tree of his or her own. In that way, every child is connected to Nebraska City’s rich historical past as they grow into the future. (Author’s collection.)