One Township's Yesterdays Chapter XLI
INDIANA CENTENNIAL
IN THE OBSERVANCE OF THE STATE'S CENTURYHOOD, in 1916, Union Township took a prominent part. The celebration of this important
anniversary throughout Marshall County began early in the year, in April and even earlier. Mrs. PHEBE THOMPSON WILLEY was county
chairman.
Celebrations were held by the schools, including Culver.
The town of Culver held a celebration on July 27th, for which Mrs. GEORGE OVERMYER was largely responsible. In the forenoon, there
was a parade by the members of eleven Sunday schools, each school representing some phase of the work. In the afternoon, following
a "grown up" parade, a series of drills and scenes was enacted illustrative of early history, including the battle of Tippecanoe,
portrayed by the Culver cadets.
The Marshall County celebration, held at Plymouth August 6th to 10th, with an adjourned chapter on August 17th, was participated in
by from all over the county. The Sunday School Day program, August 8th, included a processional pageant of the Sunday schools of the
county, a mile in length. On Pioneer Day, August 9th, there were talks by the oldest inhabitants, and the presentation of a few of
the surviving old settlers who came to the county prior to 1840. To mark the closing day of the celebration, the Marshall county
pageant, in pantomime, was participated in by about nine hundred people. This and the industrial and historical parade, interrupted
by rain, were given the following week.
The Pageant was an ambitious undertaking. There were four Episodes representing periods, 1816 to 1916, and among the distinctive
features were: the removal of the Indians, spinning contest, old tavern scene and dance, fashion show (the evolution of dress),
and the Culver Black Horse Troop in a Civil War scene.