- Date
- 1955-07-04
- Kind
- Celebration
- Carried out by
- Beaver Island Civic Association
- Followed by
- Beaver Island holds its 1956 Fourth of July Picnic
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- celebrationcommunitytourism
- Within
- Beaver Island
Summary
The Beaver Island Civic Association held its annual Fourth of July Picnic on July 4, 1955, at the ball diamond and grove on the property of Carl and Eleanor Felix (“Swede’s Place”) at the north end of the harbor. The day included a judged Children’s Parade, food and refreshments, and an evening fireworks display over the harbor. This is the earliest year for which this knowledge base holds a Fourth of July record.
Program
The Felixes, proprietors of Swede’s Place, offered the ball diamond and grove as the picnic site along with their Drive-In Refreshment Stand, which served food prepared by island women; draft beer, pop, and ice cream were also sold. Mrs. Lawrence McDonough, Chairman of the Activities Committee, served as General Chairman of the event. The Children’s Parade began at 1:00 p.m., with the line of march running from the playground to the Point and back to the ball diamond. The Beacon names the winning entries: first prize to “Davy Crockett and His Bar,” entered by McAndrew Greene of Muskegon Heights; second to Eddie and Jeanne Wojan; third to Larry McDonough. The Civic Association closed the day with a fireworks display on the harbor, set off by Art Johnston and Walt Wojan. Glen Forbes made a sign for the picnic grounds that the Civic Association thanked him for in the same issue. The Emerald Isle ferry ran double trips on the Friday and Saturday around the holiday, loaded to capacity with visitors.
Evidence limits
The account is a contemporary newsletter report, not a post-event financial or attendance record; no proceeds figure is given for this year, unlike later editions. The Beacon calls this the “Annual” picnic, implying an established local tradition, but does not state how many years it had already run or whether the Civic Association (itself founded in 1955 per its own later 30th-anniversary report) organized any earlier edition. No source held here documents a Fourth of July event on Beaver Island before 1955.
Open questions
- Does “Annual” in the July 1955 Beacon refer to a tradition that predates the Civic Association’s own 1955 founding, and if so, is any earlier edition documented anywhere?
- What were the picnic’s proceeds, if any were tracked, in this first held year?
See also
Sources
- Reports "a sizzling weather for the Annual 4th of July Picnic," held at the Ball Diamond and grove owned by Carl and Eleanor Felix (Swede's Place, north end of the Harbor), with a Children's Parade at 1:00 p.m. from the playground to the Point and back, judged floats, and a Civic Association fireworks display on the harbor that evening. Names Mrs. Lawrence McDonough, Chairman of the Activities Committee, as General Chairman of the event. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1955-07_Beaver-Beacon
- The held four-page issue scan is paired with the OCR source and confirms the published notice or report; it does not expand the source-specific identity, event, or outcome claims.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1955-07_Beaver-Beacon
Added 3 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “Beaver Island holds its 1955 Fourth of July Picnic”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/beaver-island-fourth-of-july-1955/, accessed [date], citing The Beaver Beacon, July 1955, monthly newsletter of the Beaver Island Civic Association. (and 1 further source listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-03. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
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