Welcome back to One Century Ago, a collaboration between Patch and the Historical Society serving Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown.
Each week we bring you the front page of a local newspaper that covered the news in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow (North Tarrytown) one hundred years ago. This front page comes from the Tarrytown Press-Record. The Press-Record was published as a weekly from 1893 to 1946 and has been preserved by the Historical Society on microfilm.
Friday, October 25, 1912:
Flawless Fire Company Parade and Inspection
The front page of the Press-Record was completely dominated by the news of the fire company gala day, parade and inspection. They gave a glowing account of the event, claiming that compared to last year it was “Every bit as good and a whole lot better. Better music, larger companies, more dazzling uniforms and finer apparatus. Oh yes, it was some parade.”
Those who rose early on the day had their excitement dampened by dreary grey skies, which threatened to mar the parade with showers. But as the day progressed the skies cleared and there were glimpses of sunshine, and eventually the weather turned out to be ideal for marching - mild, but not too cold.
By noon the streets of Tarrytown and North Tarrytown were crowded with people from all around who had come to see the parade, and generally enjoy a day out amongst all the festivities. The buildings along the side of the parade route were decorated beautifully and artistically by their owners, and received many “flattering remarks”.
Thirty-three fire companies took part in the parade, including those from Pleasantville, White Plains and Valhalla. There was some logistical confusion when it came time for the companies to line up for the start of the parade and this caused some delays, which the spectators tolerated good-naturedly, “What cared they? Everyone was out for a good time.”
When everyone did finally fall in line the parade started off to enthusiastic clapping and cheering. Leading the parade was the Police Platoon, and the Tarrytown and North Tarrytown village trustees. The rest of the marching procession included a great many bands (including the Dobbs Ferry Juvenile Asylum Band), fife and drum corps, hose wagons, gasoline pumping engines, and of course, entire fire companies from all around. Most were dressed in blue, with the bright colored suits of the bandsmen standing out strikingly. The trucks were polished until they sparkled, and the horses were groomed to perfection, their manes and tails softly fanning out in the light breeze. The whole procession was an impressive sight.
The inspection took place on Broadway, opposite the Andre monument, and the Tarrytown and North Tarrytown trustees were stationed there. As each company marched past the reviewing stand, every man raised his hand in a salute. Some complicated and impressive marching manoeuvres were then carried out, which rescue Hose performed particularly well.
All in all there were no flaws in the whole event, and Tarrytown and North Tarrytown could safely say that they hosted an outstanding parade.
“The parade is over - The firemen gone,
The bands no more we hear,
But let us hope they’ll come again,
And be our guests next year.”
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