BIG CELEBRATION APPROACHES

Most of the pole banners have been hung, most of the plans have been finalized and hopefully most contingencies have been considered. All that remains to assure the success of the Troy Sesquicentennial and Courthouse Centennial celebration is implementation and participation. The Celebration Committee hopes the entire population of Doniphan County, past and present, will come to Troy June 30th through July 4th and join together in the festivities they have planned. The committee has made it a priority to keep the attractions family oriented and as inexpensive as possible so everyone can participate.

The five-day event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 30th, with an old-fashioned Cake Walk on the south walk of the Courthouse. The Cake Walk will be followed at 7:30 p.m. by a band concert on the square featuring the Summer Band formed under the direction of David Reiter. This should give a nice nostalgic opening for the days that follow.

Saturday’s first activity will be an 8:30 a.m. Cemetery Tour at Mt. Olive Cemetery on old K-7 Highway South of Troy. Participants should meet at the cemetery. From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. the seven homes on the Historic Homes Tour will be open for visitors. Advance tickets may be purchased for $8.00 each at Troy banks, the Troy Library or through the website; www.celebratetroy.com. On July 1st tickets will be $10.00 and will be available at the Tennent-Baker House, 138 S. Walnut, in Troy at the northeast corner of the square.

Between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 1, the major attractions around the square will be open. These include: old-fashioned games for the children, make-and-take crafts for the children, Herbal Tea Tasting, Medicinal Herbs demonstration, treadle sewing machine demonstration, a grist mill demonstration, antique farm equipment exhibit, vintage clothing exhibits, an exhibit on the Public Schools and various exhibits at the Library. In addition, each building on the square will have an historic text panel about its past. Also, the Quilt Show will be in the Masonic Hall, Storytelling in the Library at 2:00 and 4:00 p.m., a Buffalo Program at 10:00 a.m. and at 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. in the building at 127 S. Main and Paul Dittemore in his shop telling about his antique tools at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. Wolf River Bob should be roaming the area this day also.

The courthouse will be open Saturday and tours about the history and architecture of the building will take place. Over 250 entries were received for the art contest and on this day all entries will be on exhibit. Winners will be announced on Monday, July 3rd. An historical presentation will be held in the Commissioner’s room.

Throughout the day food and drink stands will be open and the Bar-B-Que contestants will be cooking. To keep costs to a minimum, food concessions will be the only commercial vendors operating throughout the weekend.

At 5:30 p.m. on Saturday the American Legion will hold a Fish Fry at the Doniphan Electric Co-op building. The day will be crowned with a Street Dance on Main Street featuring local favorites, The Whetstines!

Sunday begins at 2:00 p.m. with an Historic Enactment to take place at the Troy Community Center on Last Chance Road. The courthouse and most booths will be open between the hours of 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. with schedules much the same as Saturday. On Sunday there will be no homes tour and no quilt show.

Sunday evening will be a time for the entire county to come together and celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Doniphan County Courthouse. Families are invited to bring a picnic supper and dine on the courthouse lawn about 5:30 in the evening. At 6:30 p.m. the County Celebration Cake will be served. This cake, made up of over 30 individually donated cakes, will be approximately four foot square and will be decorated to look like Doniphan County. A Community Sing-Along will begin at 7:00 p.m. Bring lawn chairs.

Celebration Station, the United States Postal Service One-Day Cancellation will be at the Tennent-Baker House, 138 E. Walnut, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 3rd. Exhibits may be open at exhibitor’s discretion. A special program on the architecture and the man, George Washburn, will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Troy Community Center. Washburn designed the Doniphan County Courthouse as well as many other beautiful buildings around northeast Kansas. It is expected his great-granddaughter will be in attendance and probably will speak. The announcement of the Art Contest winners will follow.

Tuesday, July 4th, will culminate the festivities. Along with the usual Fourth of July activities sponsored by the Troy Lions Club some special events will take place. At 8:00 a.m. the annual 5K/5K Run Walk and the 3-on-3 Basketball will begin at the Troy High School. At 10:00 a.m. the Fishing Tournament will take place at the 4-H Pond. The Courthouse will open at 2:00 p.m. and on the west side of the square music will be furnished by Nancy Harter Krahl, her daughter Crystal Camp, and Nancy's grandson, Tommy Krahl. A Re-dedication ceremony is set for 2:30 p.m. with Keynote Speaker, the Honorable Eric S. Rosen, Justice, Kansas Supreme Court. The Fourth of July Parade will begin at 4:00 p.m. Following the parade a hot dog and hamburger cookout will begin at 5:00 p.m. at the fairgrounds. Also at 5:00 p.m. and at the fairgrounds, a Peddle-Tractor Pull will take place and it will be followed by a frog race. Homemade Ice Creams starts at 7:00 p.m. and at Dusk the annual Lions Club fireworks display will thrill everyone.

The Celebration Committee has worked hard to make this celebration fun for everyone and easy on the pocketbook. Their desire is that families of the county can come together, celebrate the occasion and store up delightful memories for the years ahead. Visit www.celebratetroy.com for updates and schedule.