For a Veterans Day post, the Historic Landmarks Commission reposted this photo from the Library's historic photo collection.
 |
| "Military marching band" on State Street (Salem Library Historic photos) |
It was worth a closer look. A decade or so ago, we remarked here on some lady bicyclists in the background. Was there more?
 |
| Ladies on bike (detail) |
In the foreground, it certainly does look like a "military marching band." Earlier I had thought a sign on a building might be a significant clue, but that is likely a red herring. It is interesting anyway!
 |
| Advertisement for Walter L. Main circus (detail) |
In the back pasted onto a building wall is a large ad for the Walter L. Main circus. It appeared a few times in the late 1890s here.
For one of the visits, in 1899, a "detachment of Roosevelt's Rough Riders" was advertised.
 |
| September 2nd, 1899 |
 |
| September 1st, 1899 |
Don't these look like Rough Riders? In his book about them Roosevelt said:
In their slouch hats, blue flannel shirts, brown trousers, leggings, and boots, with handkerchiefs knotted loosely around their necks, they looked exactly as a body of cowboy cavalry should look.
 |
| Rough Riders? (detail) |
I wish I could make out what was on the drum!
 |
| September 5th, 1899 |
Interestingly, a short notice afterwards said that an automobile in the parade was "the first horseless carriage that has made its appearance on the streets of Salem." Otto J. Wilson brought the first car owned and operated by a Salemite a little later in 1903.
 |
| April 16th, 1903 |
The "hop picking exodus" should be noted also.
Another ad on a building corresponds closely to a print ad for Dr. Pierce's Favorite Prescription also from 1899.
 |
| April 7th, 1899 |
Certainty on the photo may not be possible, but the circus parade of September 5th, 1899, rather than any patriotic holiday parade, is a candidate for it.
More likely, though, is the return of the Second Oregon the month before, on August 10th, 1899.
 |
| August 10th, 1899 |
Two other photos are consistent with this.
 |
| Another view from the same parade (Salem Public Library Historic Photos) |
 |
| An undated photo, likely the Second Oregon (Salem Public Library Historic Photos) |
It's hard to be sure. Maybe we'll return to these later to see if more can be discerned.
1 comment:
(Edit and Revision: Found a couple more photos and now think the circus poster was a red herring, so revised the piece to be much more tentative about that and to suggest an August date with the return of the Second Oregon Volunteers.)
Post a Comment