In this year leading up to Arizona's centennial, Feb. 14, 2012, we'll reprint a story or excerpts each day from the Arizona Daily Star or Tucson Citizen archives.
July 5, 1912
At night, Elysian Grove was thronged with people. There must have been fully 3,000 there, and they filled every part of the grounds from the baseball field to the entrance gate.
The side shows were continually filling with the throng, and upon being emptied were again filled with a gay laughing, carnival crowd.
The Pike was crowded at all times, and the baseball field was jammed with people when the fireworks were shot off within the enclosure.
The fireworks celebration was one of the best seen in Tucson for many a moon and were well handled by Harry Johnson, assisted by Doctor McCreary. Fireworks of every kind were sent up: Roman candles, devil's pots, giant rockets, serial pin wheels, sunbursts and parachute rockets. There were too many different kinds to mention all of them. Big fuses furnished red and green light and were set about the field to furnish the the men light by which to work. As the many different rockets whistled up in the air and burst, there were heard all kinds of exclamations of admiration from all sides.
The band concert was greatly enjoyed by all and so many people were in the grand stand that the musicians had to get outside the fence to play. It made no difference to them, and they furnished excellent music at that. Finally after playing for a while at the fireworks display, they went to the Pike and when the rockets had all been shot off, the crowds followed them.
Before the fireworks were started, and when it was still light, the Boy Scouts and the militiamen from Company K gave a drill. The militiamen drilled for the cup which is being presented by the Moose. Corp. Cloud drilled down all others and will receive the prize. The Boy Scouts gave an excellent drill and were roundly applauded as they marched through their different formations.
After everything was over on the baseball field, the whole crowd went back to the pavilion and made a round of the side shows. They listened good naturedly to the barkers and were told that Professor Herrington was the only original seer and could read anything from your palm to your writing.
Another show had the only original snake-eating woman on record, and still another could show you one of the greatest curiosities in the world brought directly from Africa. It was one continual round of pleasure, noise and laughter.
The big opening dance finished the evening's fun. It started at 9 o'clock in the pavilion. The crowd when it was tired looking at the side shows went in and danced until past midnight.
Arizona Daily Star
The Sundt Companies, O'Rielly Chevrolet, Research Corporation for Science Advancement, Sam Levitz Furniture, the University of Arizona, Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., Rosemont Copper, Tucson Realty & Trust. Co., Jack Furrier Tire & Auto Care, Walgreens and Carondelet Health Network are sponsors of the Star's Arizona Centennial project.
