The 4th of July was always an anticipated holiday for the Marchant family. The activities surrounding Independence Day instilled in us a patriotic spirit and gratitude to be an American, but more than that they were fun!
Most of our holiday observance was tied to the nearby town of Oakley, who has hosted a 4th of July Celebration since 1935. But our day's events began in Peoa itself with the local flag raising. Town residents would be reminded of the holiday by the ringing of the old Peoa school bell which was on a Daughters of Utah Pioneers (DUP) monument on the LDS church grounds. For many years, our own Grandma Evalyn Stembridge took her responsibility as an officer of the local DUP seriously, ringing the bell at 6 am to wake the town. At 7 a.m. the short program would begin, boys in scouts would sleepily arrive and see that the flag was raised. We’d sing along to a cassette tape accompaniment of the Star Spangled Banner and other patriotic songs. During the program, the sun would rise over the hill immediately to the East of the church. Sure, we loved our country, but the favorite part of the morning was the donuts and hot chocolate served at the end.
The Oakley 4th of July Parade began at 10 a.m. It's a slice of Americana, a small town parade We enjoyed waving to the queens on horseback and floats, and especially gathering the candy that was thrown out. In the early years, our family always watched the parade near its starting point by the Oakley LDS Ward house and original rodeo grounds. The parade went one direction, and in case you missed anything, it turned around and came back! As we grew up, all of the Marchant kids had the chance to participate in the parade. For many years there was a Marchant musician in the South Summit High School Marching Band. Before the days of custom t-shirts and casual shorts for bands, the marching Wildcats looked spiffy in their tailored wool uniforms complete with tall white furry hats. Great for looking professional, not so good for staying cool. Later years saw Marchant girls represented on floats for Summit County Dairy Princess and Kamas State Bank. The Oakley Parade was one of the most documented events our family, faithfully filmed with our 8mm movie camera.
In the afternoon, Oakley had a Junior Rodeo. I never actually participated in this Rodeo, although maybe Blake did. My memories include watching city kids trying to catch a greased pig or ride a sheep or calf, usually unsuccessfully. I also remember sitting in the hot sun.
The marquis event of the 4th of July Celebration was the Oakley Rodeo. Our frugal family faithfully attended every year, but to save money we opted to buy the General Admission tickets. For a lower cost, we bought tickets and we kids went early to the Rodeo grounds to secure the best seats, hours before the rodeo began. We brought our own treats, usually home made pink candy-coated popcorn. Now the Oakley Rodeo is a fully sanctioned professional rodeo. Back in the 1960’s and 70’s, we often cheered local cowboys who tried to “stick” a ride on a bucking horse or bull, or rope a calf. A popular event was the Wild Cow Milking contest, made up of Kamas Valley residents working in teams to rope a cow and be the first to get some milk to show the judges. I may just be getting old, but the rodeo stock from the past seemed more ferocious than it does now.The bull fights with the clowns seemed to last for a long time. I do know the seats in the old arena were closer to the action, making it more exciting (and probably dangerous) when a bull chased a clown or cowboy to the edge of the arena.
As our family grew, the tradition of a Peoa/Oakley 4th of July was shared with the next generation. Families traveled from Texas, Washington State, Nevada to join in a Family Reunion with built in activities - Flag Raising, Parade, Rodeo. The Oakley Parade only goes one way now, starting at the new Rodeo Grounds South of Oakley. For years we watched the parade near the Oakley Polar King Drive-In, often next to Stembridge cousins and their extended families. Later we moved further east along the highway for viewing the parade, nearer to the new rodeo grounds and town park. Grandchildren and even great-grandchildren learned the charm of a small town parade where it throwing candy is still permitted. For many years, all seats for the rodeo have been reserved. The Rodeo is part of the professional circuit and showcases some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the country. But the outdoor experience at the base of the mountains on a summer’s evening is still the same.
Ione started a new part of the 4th of July experience when she introduced a family breakfast held on a day near the 4th of July when family was in Peoa. The breakfast was held at the Weber Cottonwood Picnic Area, in Weber Canyon east of Oakley. After being sprayed with insect repellant, we would enjoy a hearty breakfast cooked over camp stoves. Blake was usually found manning the grill, turning out perfectly browned French Toast and Pancakes. When in Utah, Julie was the manager of the details of the meal. Janice and the Seely Family from Texas were here for one of the early years of the canyon breakfast.The energetic Seely boys found the Weber River nearby and got in the river and played. After that year, more cautious parents allowed their children to throw rocks in the river from the bank, but not actually get in. After breakfast and clean-up, pictures were taken, documenting who was able to attend and how much all the kids had grown over the past year.
The Family Breakfast tradition continues today, although the venue has changed. 2011 was a wet spring, a high water year that brought fears of flooding. To eliminate the temptation to children to get too near a dangerously high river, Ione decided to hold the breakfast outside her house in Peoa. This worked out well and was more convenient for food preparation. It still allowed for the family to be together, enjoying a delicious breakfast outside in the cool mountain morning.
