I do realize that it is not the Fourth of July, but September, but the accounts of July are what I am reading now. In 1873 Mayor Funk announced that no personal firecrackers could be used, to avoid unwanted fires. The committee on fireworks had been planning for a month the grand firework display that would be presented by that group.
One entertainment was to be a contest between a steam run fire engine pumper and the manned pumper. The two were to be run a distance of 3 and 1/2 blocks from the engine house and then throw a stream of water as far as they could toward their targets, the Ashley House and Stephen Smith's store. The steam engine was to throw its stream from a 500 foot hose and the human pumper through a 300 foot hose. The paper was not published between July 4 and July 6, so the news that the firehose race did not take place did not reach me until July 7, 1873. How disappointing.
The Avalanche was a much anticipated feature of the Fourth and apparently consisted of a motley group of young men in costume playing instruments in bizarre costumes in a parade in the downtown area. They would ride on "horses, mules and sheep."
Multiple foot, horse and mule races took place, some for money purses. The sack are was won by a young man by the name of Jim Holly, who I picture living on Grove Street, who I remember because the Holly's were the only African American family who ever lived on that street during the time I have charted the history of the homes there (from 1874 - 1940).
Fireworks were shot off from a stand in front of Schroeder's Opera House (next door to today's Lucca Pizza) -- which seems like a terrific fire risk.
Of course there were speeches and ice cream and picnics. Everyone had a marvelous time, except the family of August Mohneke, whose chosen sweetheart declined to attend the festivities with him and possibly for this reason August put a bullet through his heart on the 3rd of July in the family's barn.