I celebrated
the Fourth of July in Wamego, Kansas.
I watched a
parade, listened to a live band, and watched a truly impressive fireworks
display.
I made three
videos using photos and footage I recorded during my trip.
The first
video features the band Switch in Time, which performed a cover of "Saturday
in the Park" during the Wamego celebration. The song was originally released
by the rock band Chicago in 1972.
The video
also includes photos and video I recorded during the parade that took place earlier that
evening.
The
second video features the top-notch fireworks display from the celebration.
(The video contains intense flashing lights, so be careful if you have photo-sensitive epilepsy.)
The third
video features various works of art from the Yellow Brick Road and several exhibits
from Oz Museum, both of which are located in Wamego.
The video
works best when played alongside Judy Garland’s performance of Over the
Rainbow, which YouTube’s copyright protection system wouldn’t allow me to include.
Local History
During my
trip, I also took photos of two pieces of local history in Wamego City Park.
One monument
honors the military service members from Pottawatomie County who served in the
First World War.
According to its inscription, the women of Pottawatomie County dedicated the monument on
Nov. 12, 1923.
The Old
Dutch Mill was originally built by a Dutch immigrant in 1879, twelve miles north of Wamego. The mill was used to grind grain into flour and cornmeal.
In 1925, the
mill was moved to Wamego. Each stone was taken down, numbered and rebuilt, exactly
like the original. The mill is 25 feet in diameter and 40 feet high.
Today, the
mill stands as a monument to Kansas pioneers.
A bust of
Ceres, the Roman Goddess of Grain, is located on the mill above a window.