In today’s column, we look back at significant events that occurred on the Fourth of July holiday in the late 19th century.
In tiny Walnut Grove Cemetery in southeastern Knox County, one monument towers over all the others, dominating the rural churchyard.
This monument marks the grave of James D. “Blue Jeans” Williams, a Democrat who was elected Governor of Indiana in 1876. Williams tragically died while in office on November 20, 1880 at the age of 72, but the massive monument was not installed until late 1882. It was finally dedicated on July 4, 1883. Williams donated the land on which the church and cemetery stand.
James D. Williams was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, on January 16, 1808. He moved with his family to Harrison Township, Knox County in 1823. As an adult, he was nicknamed “Blue Jeans” after the homemade suits he wore, suits he knitted from his own sheep’s wool.
In early 1882, Williams’ executors and heirs contracted with W. C. Whitehead of Indianapolis to build the monument. The polished Burle granite column was 28 feet 9 inches tall. The 7-foot square base was limestone. The cost of the monument, paid by the family, was estimated at $2,000 to $3,000 (more than $95,000 in today’s dollars).
In November 1882, the shaft arrived at Wheatland Station and was then transported to the cemetery. The hardest part was moving the 10-ton foundation, which was loaded onto a wagon and pulled by eight teams of workers (probably mules, but the documents are not clear) but it kept sinking into the ground and had to be repeatedly jacked up. It took days to get it to the cemetery.
It was decided that the monument’s unveiling should coincide with the Fourth of July holiday, and was scheduled for July 4, 1883. That day, thousands of people gathered, numbers estimated at between 5,000 and 10,000, and a special train was run to Wheatland to transport many dignitaries from the town to the cemetery.
By all accounts, it was a bitterly hot and dusty day. The Vincennes Commercial of July 6, 1883, described it this way: “After an unusually hot drive, the crowd that arrived at the site of the ceremony was the most miserable, dusty and forlorn looking of all those who had gathered to mourn the death of a great man and to enjoy a picnic.” The paper later described the heat and dust as “unbearable.”
Attendees first gathered in the shade along the highway across from the cemetery for speeches and a picnic. Indiana Supreme Court Justice William E. Niblack acted as emcee. The program began at 10 a.m. with the main address by Indiana Senator Daniel W. Voorhees, who had campaigned with Williams in 1876. Voorhees delivered a glowing eulogy for his friend, followed by former Republican Indiana Governor Conrad Baker, who preceded Williams as governor.
The crowd then embarked on a picnic lunch: People brought picnic baskets and set up what one newspaper described as “improvised food stands.” Even dignitaries sat on the ground and enjoyed chicken, pies, cakes, bread and butter, and lemonade.
After lunch, Indiana Senator (and future President of the United States) Benjamin Harrison, who had run against Williams in the 1876 election, addressed the crowd. Former Indiana Senators Joseph McDonald and Jason B. Brown, who had served with Williams in Congress, also spoke.
The beautiful floral arch, presented by staff at what was then known as the Central Indiana Psychiatric Hospital, caused quite a stir.
At 2:30 p.m., the crowd was led by a band on a walk to the cemetery, where a monument was unveiled, concluding the day’s ceremonies.
