1957 was a big year. I turned nine years old, and there was a magnificent celebration. 

The streets were busting at the seams with fellow Dongolians. The men all wore beards and those peculiar-looking hats that you’d typically see in England. The women donned bonnets and long skirts. There might’ve been one or two of those fancy frilly umbrellas, too. And the kids rode in horse-drawn wagons. Yessir, that was back when they still had hitching posts on Front Street.

So why the big party for a kid turning nine? Well, it wasn’t for me. But it was a birthday bash.

In 1957, Dongola, Illinois, celebrated its first centennial. A one-hundred-year jubilee.

Right across from my grandmother's storefront, between the railroad tracks and Highway 51, the city set up a makeshift jail where they would "incarcerate" notable people from around town. And folks would come by and donate money to bail ‘em out.

It was quite the shindig. We even buried a time capsule, although I can’t tell you what was in it or its current whereabouts. 

Everywhere you turned, there was excitement. It was a magnificent celebration.

Y’know, we’ve got another magnificent celebration coming up soon. On July 4th, we will commemorate the United States of America’s 250th birthday.

You can call it the Semiquincentennial, Bisesquicentennial, Sestercentennial, or the Quarter Millennium. Take your pick, they all mean the same thing.

I’ve been told there will be a massive armada in New York Harbor. The world’s largest peacetime armada, featuring ships and naval vessels from over 30 nations. And gear up for the D.C. Grand Prix, with Indy Cars racing through the streets of Washington, DC. 

Oh, and get this, just like they did in Dongola, the higher-ups are gonna bury a National Time Capsule to preserve the stories and ideals of America in 2026. I wonder if they’ll include some of the aliens from Area 51. Oops. Sorry. I’m not supposed to talk about that. 

All in all, it sounds like there’s gonna be some magnificent celebrations... including right here in southern Illinois. I hope to see you at the party.

Happy Birthday, America. God shed His grace on thee.

Thanks for readin’.

Francis Pass 

P.S. - Did you know that both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on July 4, 1826, which just happened to be America’s 50th birthday? Now that’s patriotic.