SITE IN PROGRESS COME BACK FOR UPDATES LAST EDIT AUGUST 2016
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(reposted from mansfieldnewjournal.com 6/30/2013)
Although it traveled through towns where people cheered its passage and waved flags, the very first stop after leaving Philadelphia was Mansfield, Ohio, on July 6. It arrived at 7:25 a.m. and stayed about 15 minutes. The News reported: “When the special train arrived in the city, there was a solid mass of humanity at the depot to greet the visitors. They surged about the train and were able to secure a close view of the relic. |
“When viewed in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, it is enclosed in a glass case, but now it is being taken out in the open. The large crack can plainly be seen on one side, and it is shown very clearly that it is growing rapidly. The interior support of the bell is very cleverly concealed, and it hangs on the car just as it originally hung in the tower of the old Philadelphia statehouse ...
“Children were permitted to go up on the car and touch the bell as it stopped here, while members of the party were most accommodating in taking pictures of the bell from the car for those who desired Kodak pictures.
“Some pieces of silk flags which hung about the bell were cut up and thrown among the crowd as souvenirs. During the stop, booklets containing the history of the bell, cards with a picture of the relic and buttons also containing a picture of the bell and the American flag were distributed.”
After a short speech by somebody in charge, the crowd gave three cheers “with a vim that inspired new patriotism in those who were assembled.”
The special train was described as a baggage car, diner, three sleepers, a reception car for visitors and, at the very rear, the special car where the Liberty Bell was hung.
“This car was a specially constructed car with iron railings at the sides and ends. American flags waved from the staffs at the four corners of the car, while there were other decorations in American colors. There were 26 councilmen from Philadelphia accompanying the bell on its trip while other special representatives of Philadelphia are on the train” — plus four policemen.
Would there have been enough muscle to pick it up if the 2,000-pound bell had bounced off the back of the isolated little train somewhere in the Great Plains?
To be fair, the Liberty Bell had made several such excursions without incident — New Orleans in 1885, Chicago in 1893, Atlanta in 1895, Charleston in 1902 and St. Louis in 1904. The trip that took the Liberty Bell through Mansfield was the last time it left Philadelphia.
The bell now sits in its own special glass case in its own special building run by the National Park Service. If you go here, www.nps.gov/inde/liberty-bell-center.htm, you can hear how it may have sounded in its prime.
Also, if anyone in your family saved photos, stories or souvenirs of the 1915 stop in Mansfield, please contact at [email protected] or through the News Journal.
Peggy Mershon is a retired News Journal copy editor and local historian. She can be reached at [email protected].
“Children were permitted to go up on the car and touch the bell as it stopped here, while members of the party were most accommodating in taking pictures of the bell from the car for those who desired Kodak pictures.
“Some pieces of silk flags which hung about the bell were cut up and thrown among the crowd as souvenirs. During the stop, booklets containing the history of the bell, cards with a picture of the relic and buttons also containing a picture of the bell and the American flag were distributed.”
After a short speech by somebody in charge, the crowd gave three cheers “with a vim that inspired new patriotism in those who were assembled.”
The special train was described as a baggage car, diner, three sleepers, a reception car for visitors and, at the very rear, the special car where the Liberty Bell was hung.
“This car was a specially constructed car with iron railings at the sides and ends. American flags waved from the staffs at the four corners of the car, while there were other decorations in American colors. There were 26 councilmen from Philadelphia accompanying the bell on its trip while other special representatives of Philadelphia are on the train” — plus four policemen.
Would there have been enough muscle to pick it up if the 2,000-pound bell had bounced off the back of the isolated little train somewhere in the Great Plains?
To be fair, the Liberty Bell had made several such excursions without incident — New Orleans in 1885, Chicago in 1893, Atlanta in 1895, Charleston in 1902 and St. Louis in 1904. The trip that took the Liberty Bell through Mansfield was the last time it left Philadelphia.
The bell now sits in its own special glass case in its own special building run by the National Park Service. If you go here, www.nps.gov/inde/liberty-bell-center.htm, you can hear how it may have sounded in its prime.
Also, if anyone in your family saved photos, stories or souvenirs of the 1915 stop in Mansfield, please contact at [email protected] or through the News Journal.
Peggy Mershon is a retired News Journal copy editor and local historian. She can be reached at [email protected].
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http://www.wyandothistory.org/
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=751861224895222&id=116189631795721 * * * * * * * * * * * * * Wyandot County Historical Society December 14, 2014 · I am researching a new exhibit about the Liberty Bell’s last visit to Upper Sandusky in 1915 following a brief pass through on April 28, 1893. Following a request from a board member, I did a little research and discovered that the Liberty Bell traveled from Philadelphia to San Francisco in 1915 to be exhibited at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition based on a request/petition signed by 500,000 school children in California. This was the last cross country tour for the bell following several earlier tours to regional expositions and World Fairs. A special train was created to transport the bell. The "Liberty Bell Special" travelled primarily along the route of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It left the city of Philadelphia on July 5, 1915 with the first major stop (15 minutes in length) in Mansfield, Ohio at 7:25 AM on July 6th. It was due to arrive in Upper Sandusky at 8:50 AM; however, it arrived about fifteen minutes late due to the large demand of viewers seeking a glimpse of the bell along the route. The next extended stop was a 45 minute stay scheduled for Lima, Ohio after travelling through and briefly stopping (usually about 5 minutes) at small towns along the route.Northwest Ohio towns along the railroad where the train officially stopped included Crestline, Bucyrus, Upper Sandusky, Dunkirk, Ada, and Van Wert. According to the University Herald (Ada), the train briefly stopped in Dunkirk, Ohio so Ohio Governor Frank Willis could hop on board and triumphantly accompany the bell into his hometown of Ada before continuing on to Lima, where he was the keynote speaker at their program. According to the Wyandot Union-Republican (Upper Sandusky) nearly 5,000 persons turned out to see the Liberty Bell in July 6, 1915 in Upper Sandusky. The bell would have also slowly passed through Nevada, Kirby, and Forest although it isn't known to have stopped in either town. *************************** |
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ED NOTE: This page is intended to present other stories and images from this tour. The Above stories from the beginning are examples to show the tremendous turnout all along the way, and that local historical societies, public libraries, and archives may have quite a bit of relevant local coverage, so if you live now in any of these towns along the route (see map) you may be of a mind to find it and perhaps contribute to this commemorative exposition.
_________________________________________
ED NOTE: This page is intended to present other stories and images from this tour. The Above stories from the beginning are examples to show the tremendous turnout all along the way, and that local historical societies, public libraries, and archives may have quite a bit of relevant local coverage, so if you live now in any of these towns along the route (see map) you may be of a mind to find it and perhaps contribute to this commemorative exposition.
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MORE TO COME
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AUGUST 2016 UPDATE: Clicking on the image below will take you to a photo essay compiled by UShistory.org compiled from the folios of photographers traveling with the 1915 tour.
In the Sequence below we have drawn from diverse internet locales photos of the tour taken by local observers. These are mostly in chronological order and do not cover every stop. They form an outline of the story. We hope as mentioned above that readers along this route will look into local archives and post them here to help fill in this story.
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Memphis, Tennessee
Dubuque, Illinois
Salt Lake City, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Arlington,Texas
St Louis, Missouri
Denver, Colorado
San Diego, California
Stockton, California
Tacoma, Washington
Portland, Oregon