A century celebrating Independence Day

Forest Lake’s American Legion began annual tradition in 1924

A century can bring a lot of changes. Sponsored by Forest Lake’s American Legion, the annual Independence Day celebration has seen more than its share of changes in its 100 years.

Not much is known about the very first parade, other than marchers by Forest Lake’s American Legion Post 225 took to walking along a dirt pathway on Highway 61 in 1924, just two years after the charter was founded.

But Elsie Vogel’s book “Reflections” talks about the celebration in 1928, four years after the first parade and celebration took place. That year, float entries won $15 for first place and $5 for second place in each competing category that year. That same year, spectators buzzed over to the lakeside on East Broadway Avenue to hear then-state treasurer Julius Schmahl speak. Races and contests then began, which included competitions like sack races, three-legged races, wheelbarrow and bicycle races for children. For adults, there was a contest for “Fat Man’s Race” for men over 200 pounds, a “Rooster Race” for women – the prize for the latter included an actual rooster – and a game of tug-of-war between the “country” and “town” men. After a game of baseball from teams from Forest Lake and St. Paul, a dance was held with live music by the seven-piece Harmony Bears band. An actual popularity contest was held for the most popular girl in Forest Lake; winners won $50 and $20 in gold for first and second places. (Nilva Davidson won that year.)

A lot can change in 100 years, but for volunteers by the American Legion Post 225, many things have stayed the same in the last few decades: wee-hour morning call times to set up for the parade, and a 10 a.m. start, the traditional start time since the early parades. Others ride in the parade, tossing candy and waving to viewers. Food carts and trucks have lined the street since the early days of the parade, while the carnival, live music and bingo at the Legion have changed over the years.

In 100 years, the city’s annual Independence Day celebration has made memories for many from decades past to modern times.

Krista Goodyear, a longtime volunteer and Legion member who has helmed the parade in past years, said her grandparents used to take the train from St. Paul to watch the Fourth of July baseball game in the 1920s and ‘30s. When Goodyear moved to Forest Lake in 1997, she recalled her grandmother telling her, “I just think that’s neat you live in Forest Lake now.”

Diane Paranteau, one of the grand marshals this year alongside her husband, recalled when she and her husband had a young family, there would be hay wagons parked at the bank on Broadway where her kids would climb on while the parade was happening. Her kids are now adults, and there’s no longer hay bales to sit on, but the event still means a lot to her.

“It was such a family thing,” she said. “It still is such a family thing.”

Forest Lake-native Krista Landecker recalled her family’s celebration beginning at 5 a.m., when her aunt and uncle would show up with donuts. The whole family would get in the truck with pillows and blankets set in the truck’s bed, and find a spot to park for the parade in front of what once was a bakery, where they’d go get another donut. Her aunt Jean would make sure the kids got marked by the Vulcans. When she and her sisters got older, they’d participate in the parade walking with their softball team. Now Landecker and her sister bring their children to the parade.

“We are lifers,” she said.

Landecker’s story is one of many who are known to return for the Fourth of July to Forest Lake, what had once been noted as one of the biggest celebrations in the state.

“It’s almost like reunion time,” said longtime Legion volunteer Dorothy Nelson.

Favorite memories of the parade for Kathy Limanen Peloquin include Forest Lake’s famed high school marching band led by director Rollie Nelson. In the 1965, the Forest Lake High School marching band won a national championship in New York City, and would also perform in the Rose Bowl parade in 1987 and 1992, and at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York in 1989. Though Nelson left the district in 1983, he also began directing the city band, which played in the Forest Lake parade, as well.

“You could hear them coming, playing their cadence and we would jump up and clap,” she said. “Our family always came to town for the parade. We all went to school in Forest Lake. Mr. Nelson was amazing and his band loved him!”

Traditions have changed over the years, but some have stayed, like button sales that help raise financial support to keep the Fourth of July celebration going.

Dorothy Nelson has been helping sell buttons since she began her time with the Legion in 1981. She’s known as the queen of button sales to the Legion regulars, selling hundreds each year.

Longtime volunteers teach each other the ropes as newer volunteers step up: parade setup, lining up floats, tossing candy, and months of preparations for the annual event.

Nancy Daschel joined the Legion in the late aughts, and first rode with longtime Legion volunteer Richard “Mac” McKernon, placing “no parking” signs up and helping line up the floats.

“I was amazed at how efficient the parade was set up to move: how they line up on the south side and north side, and first you have the south side moving, … and how they end up back by the school where everybody would park to begin with. That always amazed me how efficient it was,” Daschel said.

For volunteers, it’s long hours of work not just the day of, but months before, fundraising to host the event. The Legion sponsors fundraisers throughout the year to help with rising costs of fireworks and to bring in parade participants: School marching bands will get donations to their booster club, and the Legion will pay to bring in participants like The Vulcans or Crunch, the mascot of the Timberwolves, and the annual fly-over from historic airplanes to start the parade. From a mini-golf pub crawl event to bingo nights, the Legion now has to raise about $50,000 each year to host the annual celebration. The actual planning of the event starts months before, with volunteers from the Legion beginning to map out the event, and even more volunteers on the day.

But the camaraderie among volunteers is what they say makes the event work.

“It is a testament to the American Legion that after 100 years there are still people willing to put in the time to do it. You have to remember that a lot of us are service members. They don’t wear the uniform anymore, but they still want to be part of something bigger and help the community. That’s what amazes me, that everybody still pitches in to help,” Goodyear said, adding: “It isn’t work when you’re having fun with friends.”

It’s a tradition Forest Lake’s Legion Post 225 has made sure has continued for a century. And it’s a tradition volunteers say is well worth it.

“I think 100 years, it’s amazing that this town has done it for that long, and people still care about it, and they talk about their memories. It’s a sense of pride,” Goodyear said.