Dorchester Times: Sights From the July 4 Parade

Friday, July 6, 2007

Sights From the July 4 Parade

An estimated 400 Dorchester residents and out-of-town guests saw a top-notch parade on July 4. While the parade was only one of several events comprising the community's Independence Day celebration, it was undoubtedly one of the day's highlights.

Parade observers were treated to antique tractors and classic cars, as well as floats featuring the members of the Dorchester American Legion; the Legion Auxiliary; the Dorchester Methodist Church; baseball and softball teams; the Nebraska Czech queen; state Senator Russ Karpisek; and the Dorchester Area Community Association.

One of the more memorable floats featured future Dorchester students and their parents riding in support of the school bond issue to be voted on in September. Another parade entry carried a star-spangled Christmas Tree, courtesy of Kohout Christmas Trees.

For those who were unable to attend, as well as those who were there, here is a look back on one of Dorchester's best Fourth of July parades yet. (For a close up view, simply click on the photo.)

5 comments:

AnonymousJuly 6, 2007 at 7:56 AM
I was extremely happy with the festivities in our little town on the 4th. But I heard one comment that bothered me a little bit. I heard several complaints about the water ballon launcher along the parade route. I can understand that water ballons, water guns and the occasional sprinkler (nice touch) are common place in parades but to launch water balloons 1/2 a city block is a little absured. Once the projectile is air borne you can't bring it back. I was witness to one of the balloons falling withing inches of a small child enjoying the parade on the street just waiting to gather some candy. This poor girl had no idea what had happened. I believe if actions like this continue it could drive off some of the participants of the parade and other visitors who come to town for the 4th.
Now that being said many folks from out of town were extremely impressed with Dorchester's tribute to our country's birthday party. I was told numerous times that they enjoyed the quaint, small town atmosphere as opposed to fighting the crowd in Seward.
Thanks Dorchester for a great time!!
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AnonymousJuly 6, 2007 at 9:24 AM
We visited on the 4th and had a good time. Glad to see some old friends. Visited the museum and enjoyed how it continues to grow.

Didn't see too many young people around during the day, but hope they turned out for the evening activities. If there were only 400 people to watch the parade, where was everyone else? I can't think of anything better than a good home town 4th. We left a donation for DACA even though we didn't stay for the fireworks. Keep this tradition going.
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AnonymousJuly 6, 2007 at 2:02 PM
Look at those wonderful faces ....... now you tell me why this is a town worth giving up?
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AnonymousJuly 9, 2007 at 10:27 PM
Hurray for the Legion and Auxillary. These folks have given much and continue to give. Perhaps they are showing us the best to live our golden years. They make me extremely proud to live in Dorchester.
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AnonymousJuly 19, 2007 at 11:53 PM
The 4th was great from the activities downtown to the last firework... We also know of people that went to Seward and said that it was a let down to what they have seen here :-) The parade was pretty good but way to much space in between the floats, we watched and some times there was 2-3 blocks from one to the other ?!?!? Seemed to get really boring after a while... Thanks to everyone for thier hard work and Carol, thanks for all the dedication over the years to make it such a success, hope they can find someone to do just as good as you did...
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Dorchester: A Good Little Family Town

Dorchester, Nebraska (est. population 630) is located in northern Saline county. Close in proximity to Interstate 80, Dorchester is only 25 minutes from the state capital of Lincoln (est. population 250,000) and about 55 minutes from Omaha (metro population 725,000).

Dorchester's median resident age is 37 years. In 2005, Dorchester had a median family income of approximately $35,600. The median house value was about $63,000. About 95 percent of Dorchester residents commute to work via Interstate and highways.

The village has a quality public school, which received a $4.1 million expansion and modernization in 2008; it offers a small classrooms and individualized attention. Total enrollment of grades K-12 is around 230-250 students.

Ancestries of the Dorchester area are primarily German (42.4%), Czech (24.9%), Irish (12.5%), English (5.4%), and Dutch (4.9%).

Dorchester Historical Facts

* On July 4, 1871, the railroad reached Dorchester.
* Incorporated in 1881, Dorchester's population grew from 200 to 500 by 1882.
* In 1882, Dorchester had 90 buildings, 35 of which were businesses or public facilities. Brick buildings lined both sides of Washington Avenue for two blocks.
* Dorchester's longest-running newspaper was The Dorchester Star, which was published until the late 1940s.
* By 1889, Dorchester's population is said to have reached 800, while the town housed an opera house, a two-story brick schoolhouse with a bell tower, and four churches.
* By the 1910s, Dorchester had electricity, a water tower and a fire department.
* Dorchester's main arteries, Highways 6 and 33, were graveled in the 1940s.
* Dorchester's first irrigation well was drilled on Chris Weber's farm and rural electrification was finished following WWII.

A Village with History

Dorchester is one of the "alphabet towns" on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad line built west from Lincoln. The town site was selected for its pleasant location in the northern part of Saline County, about eight miles west of Crete. This situation is an attractive one, being on the level prairie land, midway between the West Blue River and Turkey Creek. The first named stream is three miles north, and the latter about the same distance south from the town. Dorchester was platted in 1870 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Dorchester" came from either for a suburb of Boston by that name or a town in England. No one is sure. Two of the very first settlers were James Seely and Edward McIntyre, who both made Dorchester their permanent home.

Dorchester: In The Beginning

Here is a look at Dorchester around 1890, less than a decade after its official incorporation, as documented by Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska:
* POPULATION: "About 300, and is made up of a substantial and progressive class of citizens, who are moral and industrious. ... The town grew but very little until the year 1879, for the reason that Pleasant Hill, on Turkey Creek, a short distance south, was the county seat and naturally drew a trade for quite a large scope of country."
* BUSINESS: "The business and professional interests of the town are represented by three general merchandise stores, two drug, one grocery, one furniture, two hardware, and two millinery stores, one bank, two restaurants, two hotels, three livery stables, a post office, one newspaper office, two elevators, two lumber yards, two coal yards, two blacksmith shops, two lawyers and four physicians."
* SCHOOL: "The schoolhouse is a good one. The schoolhouse was built in 1872, since which time the public schools have been continually kept up. The present schoolhouse is 24' x 40' in size, two stories high. The school is graded and consists of three departments. The house is found too small, and arrangements will soon be made to increase its size."
* CHURCHES: "There are three substantial churches."
* HOMES: "The residence portion of the village is made up of neat houses of different styles of architecture, but none of them very large."
* NEWSPAPER: "The Dorchester Star, which was established August 21, 1881, by H. C. Bittenbender, who edited it until January 19, 1882, when he sold it to Ryerson & Bullock, the present proprietors. The Star is a bright weekly paper, five-column quarto, in size, and is Republican in politics."