Description: Photograph titled "200 Years Old and Walking Tall," submitted by photographer Newman Townsend, Jr., of Dayton, Ohio, in the Amateur category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. The scene shows the 4th of July parade in downtown Dayton, 1976. A crowd watches as a man dressed as Uncle Sam walks by on stilts carrying an American flag, followed by men in colonial costumes. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B02F155_01_01
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Fourth of July celebrations; Parades; Costumes; Patriotic symbols; Flags
Places: Dayton (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing a young girl wearing a costume made of a red umbrella with red, white and blue floral trim and hat. Written on the umbrella is "First Miss America 1919." The image was submitted by photographer Yola Rossi of Columbus, Ohio, in the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. Rossi titled the photograph "Bicentennial Miss." It was taken of her niece, Toni Eviston, who won a prize for her original costume in the University View Civic Association parade, likely around July 4, 1976. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B02F131_01_01
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Parades; Costumes; Children
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Taken in 1971 by U.S. Army medic Charles Tweel, this photograph shows a procession of men and women in Vietnam, with three people carrying what appears to be a vessel of special importance, possibly as part of a funeral. Tweel and his men were not allowed to visit villages, but his commander brought them into Hue without permission, and they encountered this while there. This photograph is part of the Charles Tweel Collection (AV 324) at the Ohio History Connection. Charles Tweel grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and attended The Ohio State University. After graduation in 1968, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a non-combatant, first training as a medic at Fort Sam Huston, followed by nine months of additional training at Valley Forge General Hospital in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. He finished his training as a Specialist 3 and 91C, MOS, and went on to serve in Bamberg, Germany, with combat engineers for one year. In January 1971, Tweel served in Vietnam with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion (Air Mobile), 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, based out of Camp Evans near Phu Bai, north of Hue, until December of that year. Tweel spent most of his service on various firebases as the medic in charge, and occasionally shared firebases with South Vietnamese soldiers. He also visited MedCAP stations (Medical Civic Action Programs) where he treated civilians. Tweel received the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement, and was promoted to Specialist 5 in 1971. After discharge from the Army, he went to medical school and was in private practice as a family practitioner from 1979-2016, and now works part-time in inner city medical clinics in Columbus, Ohio, and Charleston, South Carolina. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV324_B01F01_028
Subjects: Vietnam War (1961-1975); United States. Army. Airborne Division, 101st; Parades & processions; Civilians in war
Places: Hue (Vietnam)
 

Description: Photograph of a young girl in patriotic dress riding a decorated Schwinn bicycle, during the Sycamore Hills annual Fourth of July parade on Pepperell Drive in Columbus, Ohio. Two men in colonial-style dress kneel next to her, and other children and adults can be seen in the background. The image was submitted by photographer David A. Winters of Columbus in the Amateur category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B02F170_01_01
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Fourth of July celebrations; Parades; Costumes; Children; Flags
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: This 2" x 2" (5.08 x 5.08 cm) photograph shows Ohio Governor James Rhodes speaking at a homecoming parade held for astronaut Neil Armstrong in 1969. More than 80,000 supporters greeted Armstrong upon his return to Wapakoneta, Ohio on September 6, 1969. Bob Hope served as marshal for the event, and guests included "Tonight Show" sidekick Ed McMahon, and Dr. Albert Sabin, who invented the polio vaccine. Hope joked with the crowd that Armstrong was adjusting well to life on Earth after his space visit, "but he keeps throwing his shoes out the window and eating toothpaste," referring to the system of trash disposal on early flights and the practice of packaging astronauts' food in tubes. Neil A. Armstrong (b. 1930), the first man to walk on the moon, was born in Wapakoneta. He received Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University. After serving as a naval aviator from 1949 to 1952, Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1955. For the next 17 years he worked for NACA and its successor agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As a research pilot at NASA's Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, he was a project pilot on many pioneering high-speed aircraft. Armstrong transferred to astronaut status in 1962 and was assigned as command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission, which was launched on March 16, 1966. As spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission, Armstrong gained the distinction of being the first man to land a craft on the moon and first to step on its surface. James Rhodes (1909-2001) served four terms as governor of Ohio, more than any other Ohio governor. Rhodes was born in Coalton, Ohio, and his father, a Welsh coal miner, died when he was eight years old. Rhodes attended Ohio State University, but had to drop out to support his mother and sisters. In 1937, Rhodes was elected to the Columbus board of education. He served two terms as auditor before being elected mayor of Columbus in 1943. He was auditor of state from 1952 to 1962 and ran for governor twice before being elected in 1962. In May 1970, Rhodes ordered National Guard troops to the Kent State University campus, resulting in the tragic shootings of four students after days of Vietnam War protests. During his four terms as governor Rhodes advocated for more funding for universities and was responsible for the development of dozens of new parks, highways and airports. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3101_3737102_001
Subjects: Ohio Government; Science and Technology; Arts and Entertainment; Celebrations; Parades & processions; Hope, Bob, 1903-2003; Armstrong, Neil, 1930-2012; Flight; Aeronautics; Astronauts; Governors; Rhodes, James A. (James Allen), 1909-2001
Places: Wapakoneta (Ohio); Auglaize County (Ohio)
 

Description: This elevated photograph shows Boy Scouts carrying an enormous American flag down a crowd-lined street during a Memorial Day parade in Canton, Ohio. A caption on the reverse reads "Old Glory was never more glorious than in 1976, when she appeared in Canton's Memorial Day Parade and again in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Parade in May and August, 1976." The image was submitted by photographer R. C. Bixler of Canton in the Professional category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B02F01_06_01
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Flags; Boy Scouts of America; Holidays; Parades--Ohio;
Places: Canton (Ohio); Stark County (Ohio)
 

Description: A decorated white Chevrolet step van takes part in a Fourth of July Bicentennial parade in Portsmouth, Ohio, July 4, 1976. Various slogans and statements appear on the van, including "200 Years of Freedom," "Stand Up for America," "Freedom Forever" and "America We Love You," along with many other patriotic decals, flags and graphics. A label on the side of the van identifies its proprietor as Cramer Burks, Low Temp. Contractor of London, Ohio. The image was submitted by photographer William B. Lee of Portsmouth in the Amateur category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B02F95_01_01
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Parades; Fourth of July celebrations; Patriotic symbols; Automobiles;
Places: Portsmouth (Ohio); Scioto County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph is identified as an "Uncle Tom Parade," which refers to a traveling show popular during this time period that featured a "double feature" type performance with dramatizations of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" as well as a more traditional circus show. This picture was likely taken only a few years after Stowe's death in 1896. Image if from a collection of glass plate negatives of various Trumbull County and northeastern Ohio scenes, places, people and events taken by John E. Pickering and Edward D. Pickering from the 1880s to the 1910s. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08474
Subjects: Cultural Ohio; Parades & processions; Circus; Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896
Places: Warren (Ohio); Trumbull County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of a parade in Warren, Ohio. A similar photograph is identified as an "Uncle Tom Parade," which refers to a traveling show popular during this time period that featured a "double feature" type performance with dramatizations of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" as well as a more traditional circus show. This picture was likely taken only a few years after Stowe's death in 1896. Image is from a collection of glass plate negatives of various Trumbull County and northeastern Ohio scenes, places, people and events taken by John E. Pickering and Edward D. Pickering from the 1880s to the 1910s. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08475
Subjects: Cultural Ohio; Parades & processions; Circus; Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896
Places: Warren (Ohio); Trumbull County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing riders of different ages on decorated bicycles, as onlookers watch from the sidewalk. The rider closest to the camera has a red, white and blue cake prop mounted on his bicycle that reads "Happy Birthday America." It was taken in East Palestine, Ohio, likely on the Fourth of July 1976. The image was submitted by photographer Dena Bozick of East Palestine in the Amateur category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B02F42_01_01
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Parades; Bicycles and bicycling; Fourth of July celebrations; Patriotic symbols;
Places: East Palestine (Ohio); Columbiana County (Ohio)
 

Description: Astronaut Neil Armstrong waving from the back seat of a convertible during a parade in his hometown of Wapakoneta, Ohio, September 6, 1969. The parade was held in honor of Armstrong being the first man to walk on the moon. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00679
Subjects: Armstrong, Neil, 1930-2012; Auglaize County (Ohio); Parades--Ohio; Astronauts;
Places: Wapakoneta (Ohio); Auglaize County (Ohio)
 

Description: A group of men from the Elyria VFW reenact "Washington Crossing the Delaware" during the Elyria Memorial Day parade, 1976. The image was submitted by photographer John G. Kenney in the Professional category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B02F05_07_01
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Holidays; Parades--Ohio; Historical reenactments; American Revolutionary War (1775-1783); Veterans
Places: Elyria (Ohio); Lorain County (Ohio)