Holiday weekend ahead
03/07/14 05:54
On Monday, we drove over Fourth of July Pass east of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. As mountain passes go, it isn’t all that impressive. There were lots of steeper and longer climbs on our route from Olympia, Washington to Rapid City, South Dakota. Like other places on the Interstate Highway System, it had a name and a story before the modern superhighway was constructed. But Fourth of July Pass does have its origins in the process of road building. U.S. Army Captain John Mullan was given the task of completing a wagon road to cross the Rocky Mountains to the inland Pacific Northwest. He started construction in the spring of 1859. It took four years to construct the road from Fort Benton, Montana to Walla Walla, Washington. Its crossing of the mountains was roughly the same route that is taken by Interstate 90 today. In the summer of 1861, the end was in sight, but there was still a lot of work to be done. One of the primary tasks was clearing away enough timber to open up the passage way for wagon travel. There were also rocks to move and grades to reshape to allow wagons to pass. Mullan told his crew that they could have July 4, 1861 off as a day to rest and celebrate if they made to top of a certain mountain. The goal was achieved and the area has been known as 4th of July Pass ever since.
The people who will have the best view as they celebrate the holiday up there tomorrow will be those who have parked their cars and gotten out to hike. The trail from Colonial Creek Campground up Thunder Creek trail is spectacular. It is also steep, climbing 2000 feet in just 2.5 miles. It offers beautiful views of Colonial Peak, Snowfield Peak and the Neve Glacier.
But I won’t be hiking today.
I need to be back in my office catching up after a glorious two-week vacation and getting ready for this Sunday. There will be plenty to do as South Dakota warms up for what looks to be a bright and sunny July 4 weekend. With the 4th landing on a Friday, there are lots of barbecues and of the special events planned for the long weekend. Attendance at church probably won’t set any records, but we have two baptisms and communion and the day will be a special celebration.
The Fourth of July was always a time for family celebrations when I was goring up. Our mother’s birthday was July 3. She would have turned 93 today. Watermelons figured large in our family celebrations, but there were some memorable birthday cakes, including the one with sparklers instead of candles that deposited bits of hot metal on the surface of the cake. You had to scrape off most of the frosting to get to an edible surface. Our place next to the river was a safe place for a few fireworks and we usually had a small group of friends gather for the festivities. We didn’t have anything that came close to the giant fireworks displays that are common today, but we’d put on a little show with a few purchases from the local fireworks stand.
Our family almost always had some kind of celebration on the evening of the 3rd. Although our father’s store was usually officially closed on July 4, the holiday came in the middle of haying season and if a rancher was broke down with hay in the field, he was likely to get his parts whether or not it was an official holiday.
July 4 is widely recognized as the birthday of our nation. the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 marked the separation of our country from the Kingdom of Great Britain. It is impossible to say what direction our history would have taken had we not taken that path. It is interesting to note that Canada, our neighbor to the North who did not declare Independence, Ireland and Britain all rank higher than our nation on the Global Democracy Ranking. It is possible that many of the things that went into the forging of the modern democracy we now enjoy might have also been a part of our history had we not been independent from Britain. But that path that our history took worked well for our nation. After a few trials in getting founding and one terrible Civil War, the young democracy has taken root and become a great world power. There is plenty to celebrate on Independence Day.
Just like John Mullan and his crew clearing the way for wagons to pass through the mountains couldn’t imagine Interstate 90, the founders of this nation were not able to foresee the incredible modern democracy that the United States has become. Furthermore it is impossible for moderns to fully understand the past. Driving over the pass on the Interstate doesn’t give an understanding of the perspective of Mullan’s crew. Living in America today, even as a student of history, doesn’t give a complete understanding of the perspectives of the founders. Those who claim to know the thoughts and intentions of our nation’s founders are likely to be wrong on at least a few points.
But we can celebrate courage, vision, and the incredible leadership that marked the founding of our nation. And we can appreciate the benefits we enjoy that come, in part, from the sacrifices of preceding generations. I think I’d stay away from sparklers in the cake and I worry a bit about those who get careless with fireworks, but there is plenty to celebrate as we enter into this weekend.
The celebrations will be even better and the memories even deeper for those who take time to worship in the midst of their celebrations. Taking time to give thanks to God in the midst of all of the other activities can give us perspective and deepen our awareness and appreciation for our place in this world.
Enjoy the 4th. Remember we’ll be open for worship on the 6th.
The people who will have the best view as they celebrate the holiday up there tomorrow will be those who have parked their cars and gotten out to hike. The trail from Colonial Creek Campground up Thunder Creek trail is spectacular. It is also steep, climbing 2000 feet in just 2.5 miles. It offers beautiful views of Colonial Peak, Snowfield Peak and the Neve Glacier.
But I won’t be hiking today.
I need to be back in my office catching up after a glorious two-week vacation and getting ready for this Sunday. There will be plenty to do as South Dakota warms up for what looks to be a bright and sunny July 4 weekend. With the 4th landing on a Friday, there are lots of barbecues and of the special events planned for the long weekend. Attendance at church probably won’t set any records, but we have two baptisms and communion and the day will be a special celebration.
The Fourth of July was always a time for family celebrations when I was goring up. Our mother’s birthday was July 3. She would have turned 93 today. Watermelons figured large in our family celebrations, but there were some memorable birthday cakes, including the one with sparklers instead of candles that deposited bits of hot metal on the surface of the cake. You had to scrape off most of the frosting to get to an edible surface. Our place next to the river was a safe place for a few fireworks and we usually had a small group of friends gather for the festivities. We didn’t have anything that came close to the giant fireworks displays that are common today, but we’d put on a little show with a few purchases from the local fireworks stand.
Our family almost always had some kind of celebration on the evening of the 3rd. Although our father’s store was usually officially closed on July 4, the holiday came in the middle of haying season and if a rancher was broke down with hay in the field, he was likely to get his parts whether or not it was an official holiday.
July 4 is widely recognized as the birthday of our nation. the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 marked the separation of our country from the Kingdom of Great Britain. It is impossible to say what direction our history would have taken had we not taken that path. It is interesting to note that Canada, our neighbor to the North who did not declare Independence, Ireland and Britain all rank higher than our nation on the Global Democracy Ranking. It is possible that many of the things that went into the forging of the modern democracy we now enjoy might have also been a part of our history had we not been independent from Britain. But that path that our history took worked well for our nation. After a few trials in getting founding and one terrible Civil War, the young democracy has taken root and become a great world power. There is plenty to celebrate on Independence Day.
Just like John Mullan and his crew clearing the way for wagons to pass through the mountains couldn’t imagine Interstate 90, the founders of this nation were not able to foresee the incredible modern democracy that the United States has become. Furthermore it is impossible for moderns to fully understand the past. Driving over the pass on the Interstate doesn’t give an understanding of the perspective of Mullan’s crew. Living in America today, even as a student of history, doesn’t give a complete understanding of the perspectives of the founders. Those who claim to know the thoughts and intentions of our nation’s founders are likely to be wrong on at least a few points.
But we can celebrate courage, vision, and the incredible leadership that marked the founding of our nation. And we can appreciate the benefits we enjoy that come, in part, from the sacrifices of preceding generations. I think I’d stay away from sparklers in the cake and I worry a bit about those who get careless with fireworks, but there is plenty to celebrate as we enter into this weekend.
The celebrations will be even better and the memories even deeper for those who take time to worship in the midst of their celebrations. Taking time to give thanks to God in the midst of all of the other activities can give us perspective and deepen our awareness and appreciation for our place in this world.
Enjoy the 4th. Remember we’ll be open for worship on the 6th.