I remember a couple of years ago my late brother, Russ, talking about the country’s upcoming Semiquincentennial. I could tell he was proud of knowing the word describing the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. I was impressed because, frankly, I hadn’t known the word. I had to use my knowledge of word roots (“semi” meaning half, “quin” meaning five, and "centennial” meaning 100) and a little quick math to figure it out so my little brother wouldn’t think he was smarter than I was.
As we approach our country’s Semiquincentennial, there are still plenty of us old-timers who remember the Bicentennial in 1976. There were celebrations, large and small, throughout the country. CBS aired Bicentennial Minutes for two and a half years with well-known Americans describing the events of “200 Years Ago Today.” Special Bicentennial quarter, half-dollar, and dollar coins were issued by the United States Mint. The major television networks aired special programming throughout the Bicentennial weekend.
In 1966, Congress created the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, which was replaced by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) in 1973. ARBA was an independent agency “created to coordinate, to facilitate, and to aid in the scheduling of events, activities, and projects of local, State, National, and international significance sponsored by both governmental and nongovernmental entities in commemoration of the American Revolution Bicentennial.”
In August 1975, a group of residents circulated a petition requesting that Fairfax have a Bicentennial celebration. They presented it to the village council at a special meeting on September 9, 1975. Congressman Willis Gradison was present at the meeting to explain ARBA regulations and the process for becoming a Bicentennial Community.
Mayor Ronald Cribbett appointed a committee of four residents, Ronald Rivera, Germaine Oligee, Patricia Kuderer, and Joyce Rea, to file the ARBA application requesting that Fairfax be named a Bicentennial Community. Several public meetings were held and the committee decided the celebration should include a written history of the Village of Fairfax, Country Fair, parade sponsored by American Legion Post 554, memorial to the village’s war dead, painted fire plugs, and Wooster Pike Beautification Project.
ARBA approved Fairfax’s application in January 1976 and a ceremony was held on March 20, 1976 with Rep. Gradison presenting Mayor Cribbett with a Bicentennial flag and certificate.
The village’s celebration was scheduled for the weekend of May 21 - 23, 1976. However, fundraising for the celebration didn’t meet expectations. Council was unable to spare the funds to pay for the Wooster Pike Beautification Project. Complicating matters were the resignations of Ronald Rivera and Germaine Oligee, who had to leave the organizing committee for personal reasons. Bicentennial events, except the parade, were postponed. Nevertheless, American and Bicentennial flags, donated by the Fairfax Civic Association, were displayed on Wooster Pike beginning in May, and the fireplugs along the parade route were painted as red, white, and blue soldiers.
The parade was scheduled for May 22, 1976 and was not only an early Memorial Day and Bicentennial observance, but a celebration of the dedication of the new American Legion post on Arrow Point Way. The parade started at the C.J. Krehbiel (now BR Printers) parking lot at Virginia and Murray Avenues. From Murray Avenue, the parade route proceeded through the village, ending at Fairfax Elementary School. As I recall, my family walked over to Southern Avenue and watched the parade near the school.
Mayor Cribbett was the parade Grand Marshall and he and his wife Elsie rode in a 1927 Auburn. The Four Aces, a musical group with a number of hits in the 1950s, were Honorary Grand Marshalls. 30 units participated in the parade, which was organized by co-chairpersons Sandy Beckler and Bob Sudhoff of the American Legion.
The remaining Fairfax Bicentennial events were held on Saturday September 25, 1976 at the Municipal Building and Recreation Center. Bicentennial Committee Chairperson Patricia Kuderer served as emcee and presented Mayor Cribbett with the village history she co-authored with Elizabeth Steele, A History of the Village of Fairfax. Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Lyle Castle gave a speech, “Our Legacy of Freedom.”
A War Memorial plaque honoring Fairfax’s war dead since World War I was dedicated at the Municipal Building. Special guests for the ceremony included Fairfax World War I veterans Paschel Roma, Bruce Hughes, and Herbert C. Wyatt, as well as Fairfax residents of 50 or more years.
The Mariemont High School Band performed. Rev. Richard Karns of Fairfax Presbyterian Church delivered the invocation and Rev. Carl Lizza of St. Margaret of Cortona gave the benediction.
Committee Co-Chairperson Bob Richard prepared a time capsule to be opened in 2076. Included in the capsule were copies of the September 25, 1976 Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati Post, a copy of the Bicentennial Celebration program with other mementoes of the celebration, copies of programs from the Municipal Building and Recreation Center dedications, a bottle opener, a couple of wooden nickels, and a copy of the Food section of the September 22, 1976 Cincinnati Enquirer. I was curious about why the Food section of the newspaper was included. I looked at it online and am still not sure, unless it was to make Fairfax residents of the future feel bad about their present-day food prices.
After the ceremony, the Country Fair began. Councilmember Carrelton Williamson was co-chairman of the fair. (I was unable to find the name of the other co-chairperson or who else served on the Country Fair committee.) A stockade was prominently placed in the fairground. People who were not properly dressed (i.e., not wearing colonial garb or red, white, and blue), children who were caught running, or those committing other “offenses” might be put in the stockade. The “constables” were Gary Banfill, Dan Timmers, and Richard Bronson, and Fred Hempel was the “judge.”
A bean and cornbread supper was served. There were a couple of magic shows, as well as one-reel films starring the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy, and W.C. Fields. A saloon was set up in the Recreation Center with Hank Schormann, the organist from Fairfax Presbyterian Church, playing old-time songs on the piano. Outside, there was a dance party with a live band.
A rocking chair marathon started on Friday night with eight participants. Over a day later, four contestants were still rocking - Todd Hempel, Russell Metzger, Jerry Stern, and Harry Walton. All four were awarded $25 savings bonds.
Jason Gerros and Kevin Worthington tied in the jelly bean guessing contest with Kevin winning in a count-off.
There was a baking contest with Virginia Keegan winning in the cake category, Thelma Gordon in the bread category, and Debbie Williamson in the cookie category. They each won a replica of the Liberty Bell and a first-place ribbon.
There was a nail driving contest. If you could drive a nail in straight you would win your choice of a cigar or candy bar.
The children’s art contest had divisions for children from elementary through middle school. Jeff Banfill was the middle school winner, Richard Moore won in the second/third grade division, and Brian Honican was the fourth/fifth grade winner and also won Best in Show.
The Wooster Pike Beautification Project hadn’t yet been started, but was still planned and later completed.
As far as I recall, the parade was the only Fairfax Bicentennial event my family attended. Unfortunately, my grandmother had passed away just a week and a half before the September 25, 1976 events and I doubt that my grieving mom wanted to drag three unruly kids to the celebration, though she might have enjoyed seeing one or more of us confined to the stockade.
For a small village that initially had difficulty finding financial support, Fairfax pulled together a Bicentennial celebration that was pure small town Americana.
[I would like to give a special shout-out to A History of the Village of Fairfax by Elizabeth Steele and Patricia Kuderer, which was written and published in honor of the Bicentennial. I have used this reference quite often in researching articles for this blog]
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