For a town of about 300 year round residences, the Fourth of July celebration is one of the best around. The parade which had gunfighters, wheel standing jeeps, and fire trucks spraying water went on for an hour. Local fire departments then had a water battle with the full force water hoses. You know their serious when each team has a six inch hose connected from their fire hydrant going to their pumper truck with fire hoses connected to it. Crowds were kept back by hosing them but it only took a fraction of a second for the kids to figure how to have fun with it. A wet time was had by all, not really a camera friendly event.
The local newspaper, Silverton Standard, has been published for 135 years. In 1875 it was known as the Weekly Miner and became the Silverton Standard in 1889. In July of 1881 it reported that the Forth of July was quiet.
"The old-timers are not taking the same interest in the national holiday that once characterized them. There were twenty-six plain drunks, twelve dog fights, nine horse races, two pistol shoot outs and one ear bitten off."
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