Dorchester Times: Dorchester Set To Celebrate July 4th

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Dorchester Set To Celebrate July 4th

Anyone in Saline County and nearby can attest that Dorchester has one of the very best small-community July 4th celebrations in the region. Below is the schedule of Dorchester's 2009 "Family 4th of July Celebration," as announced by the Dorchester 4th of July Committee.

At any time on Independence Day, residents and out-of-town visitors will find plenty of things to do in Dorchester, without the crowds of Seward or Lincoln. Of course, the highlight of the day comes after dark with the famous fireworks show, which has been pleasing crowds for 15 years.

Dorchester's 4th of July Celebration

2009 Schedule of Events

All Day ............................ Carp Weigh-In Contest @ Ben's Iron Grill (Winner gets two free dinners from Ben's Iron Grill. Will be announced after evening parade.)

9 a.m.-10 p.m. ................. Beer Garden @ Ben's Iron Grill

10 a.m.-5 p.m. .................. Saline County Museum (Open to the public all day)

11 a.m.-6 p.m. .................. Sons of American Legion BBQ (At Legion Hall)

1 p.m. ............................ Tractor "Show & Shine" on Main Street (South of Tyser's)

2 p.m. ............................ Auxiliary & Jr. Auxiliary Pie & Ice Cream Social (In front of Dorchester Grocery)

2:30 p.m. ........................ Bingo @ Community Building

2:30 p.m. ........................ Kiddy Tractor Pull (South of Joe's Place II)

3 p.m. ............................ Dorchester Legion Balloon Release (In front of Legion Hall)

7 p.m. ............................ BBQ Cook-Off @ Ben's Iron Grill. (Bring your grill and prepare for a cook-off and taste test. Cooking begins at 4 p.m.; pork will be provided. Freewill donation go to fireworks fund. Winner receives a trophy. Register now at Ben's Iron Grill.)

7 p.m. ............................ Parade (Line-up begins at 6:30 p.m., starting at Co-op parking lot. Bring a description of your entry for the announcer. For more information, e-mail pegbergmeyer@yahoo.com)

9:30 p.m. ........................ Taekwondo Performance @ Nerud Field

10 p.m. ........................... Fireworks @ Nerud Field

Dorchester's first-class 4th of July celebration depends on private support. Dorchester area residents and friends of Dorchester are encouraged to send their donations to:

First State Bank
4th of July Celebration
P.O. Box 264
Dorchester, NE 68343

11 comments:

Phil WardJune 19, 2009 at 11:53 AM
What happened to the firemens water fight???????????
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AnonymousJune 19, 2009 at 2:19 PM
Remember when they had a softball tournament? I was only a grade schooler then but I wish they had it now!
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AnonymousJune 19, 2009 at 3:05 PM
It is so nice to see events back this year. We love coming to Dorchester, they have just as good if not a better fireworks display thant any of the towns around, incliding Lincoln and Seward !!! Thankd for all the work and to the firmen for the time and organization they put forth to make it a great tradition ! ! !
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AnonymousJune 19, 2009 at 3:05 PM
It's really heartening to see a new business like Ben's get so involved in the town's 4th of July celebration.

This town resident has taken notice.
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AnonymousJune 23, 2009 at 9:24 PM
I wish we could have a water fight also. It was always a good time, I think it has something to do with insurance and liabillity. I don't know for sure, people should contact the villiage and ask.
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AnonymousJune 24, 2009 at 11:21 AM
I get that people liked the firemen's water fight, but instead of focusing on the fact that it apparently won't happen this year, take note of all the great activities (some of which are new) that are taking place. Or else get involved in the 4th planning so that you can see that your favorite events continue, or maybe to better understand the reason some activities are discontinued.
Either way, July 4th will be a great time to be in Dorchester!
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Fulton St. GalJune 24, 2009 at 2:01 PM
I hope the town screens for lawyers who want to sue people. They ruined our 4th of July last year. Don't they have enough to do already, like driving up medical costs, chasing jobs offshore, bankrupting businesses, etc.?
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AnonymousJune 25, 2009 at 11:04 PM
fulton gal u must be the same one complaining about farm fresh eggs whatever
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AnonymousJune 27, 2009 at 8:17 AM
To the staff of the times:
Fulton St. gals comments should not have been printed. Even though names were not mentioned, every probably knows who is being referred to. Unless you have walked in someone else's shoes (meaning do you know the whole story?) Negativity seems to run rampant on this site because of comments of this type.
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BobJune 30, 2009 at 2:25 PM
I didn't know dorchester had any lawyers in town. Me thinks someone needs to dull their sensitivities.
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AnonymousJuly 6, 2009 at 9:32 AM
Thanks to everyone who contributed in making Dorchester such a fun place to be on the 4th. Small town pride was evident that day - you should all be proud!

The fireworks were exceptional and again the highlight. I only wish since the 4th is a patriotic holiday there could have been more songs about our great country, but overall what a great day!
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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."