Staff report
Fourth of July celebrations have been around almost as long as the United States has been in existence.
In 1777, 13 guns were fired ó once at morning and again at evening ó on July 4 in Bristol, R.I.
That same day, Philadelphia celebrated with fireworks, parades, music and ships decked with red, white and blue bunting.
By 1778, things had picked up even more. Gen. George Washington marked Independence Day with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute.
In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first legislature to recognize Independence Day as a state celebration.
In 1783, Moravians in Salem held the first celebration of Independence Day in the country with a music program. It was titled, “The Psalm of Joy.”
In 1791, the first recorded use of “Independence Day” was mentioned.
In 1870, Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.
In 1941, residents of Vicksburg, Miss., celebrated Independence Day for the first time since July 4, 1863, when the city surrounded to Federal troops during the midst of the Civil War.
Locally, Gen. George Washington won’t be around passing out double rations of rum this Friday, but there will be plenty of Fourth of July celebrations in Rowan County, nonetheless.
And fireworks will conclude the day’s happenings at a number of locations. Included among the local fireworks displays scheduled for Friday:
– The town of Faith will conclude a week of fun with a big fireworks display at 10:30 p.m. at the Faith School ballpark. The show is sponsored by Miller Davis Studios.
– The town of Mocksville’s fireworks show kicks off at 9:30 p.m. at Rich Park on Cemetery Street, which is off North Main Street. The show is sponsored by the town’s recreation and parks department.
– The Kannapolis Intimidators will hold a fireworks show following their home game against the Lake County Captains. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
The Intimidators will actually be having fireworks shows after their home games this Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, though Friday’s show is the largest.
– A traditional Fourth of July celebration at Tamarac Marina has been bumped to 9:30 p.m. on July 12.