Valley Girl Views: 1895 Lycoming County Centennial

In 1895, Lycoming County celebrated their Centennial Anniversary with a three day event, July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. An exhibition hall was built, parades were held, a [Hot Air ] balloon ascended every day, and there were fire works on the last night. A 400 page book was written, edited by Meginness, as a Centennial Celebration Report, including the counties history.

Before the celebration began, there was a school program held, and students throughout the county were encouraged to interview elders and write historical papers. An extremely interesting list of papers were submitted, and a number of cash prizes were awarded. See the list of papers, and who wrote them, here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/07/the-school-program-for-1895-lycoming.html

The Centennial Hall

Antiquarian Exhibitions

Three Days Of Events

The Industrial Parade

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The above photo, from the Centennial Book, shows one version of the Centennial Medal - the official medal. 600 Bronze Medals, and 2,500 aluminum had been purchased. They were originally sold at the store of Duble & Cornell, but after July 1st, they were "put into the hands of agents to be sold at various prices under the instructions given by the

chairman of the committee, whose conduct was governed by the circumstances surrounding him."

Those circumstances were, apparently, " parties coming from the larger cities with spurious medals, and hawking them about the streets, at prices much lower than the original cost of the genuine; centennial medal."

Notice that the two medals below, found on ebay, are not the design shown in the Centennial report, but are rather, "spurious medals,"

Medals from the 1895 Lycoming Centennial

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The Historical Addresses

Charles M. Clement Esq

"Of the success of the exercises, beginning with the school celebration

on March 13, 1895, the civic and historical demonstrations of July 2d, 3d

and 4th, to the closing of the antiquarian exposition, with its great wealth

of the rare, the unique and the antique, this handsome volume attests. Its

pages are replete with the odor and the ardor of those festive days; and may

we not well feel that we have set the pace for our posterity of 1995? It

has been the aim of the Committee to represent every feature of that

delightful celebration, so that coming generations may see and know what

was done by the sons and daughters of 1895 in honor of the pioneer

ancestry of 1795. "

In 1896, the Williamsport Gazette & Printing House published a 400 page "Official Report of the centennial anniversary of Lycoming County Pa, held at the city of Williamsport July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 1895."

"The Committee was fortunate in securing the services of the veteran

local historian, editor and publisher, Mr. John F. Meginness (John of

Lancaster), to take charge of the compilation of the work, under whose

skillful editorship it has reached the proportions and dignity of this large and interesting volume — a lasting monument to the magnificent celebration of the centennial anniversary of our existence as a county. "

John J. Metzger

President Of Centennial Association

John F. Meginness

Father Of The Centennial

W.G. Elliot

Mayor Of Williamsport

The three sketches above ran in the Philadelphia Inquirer

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This souvenir is 3x3

A Sunday School parade was held in the morning, and in the evening an illuminated bicycle parade was held, followed by a Washington reception in costume, by the ladies in the exposition building. A feature of this exhibition was the singing to music from a piano 102 years old.

On July 3rd, the Military and Civic Parade was held. The Industrial Parade was held on July 4th.