Towns that week across America were gearing up for the Fourth of July and on the front page of the Ellicott City Times there was a picture of an American flag, with several stanzas of poems beneath it about love of country.

"Thus, too, sail on, O ship of State!

Sail on, O Union, strong and great

Humanity with all its fears,

With all the hopes of future years,

Lies haning breathless on thy fate."

Longfellow

"Breathes there a man with soul so dead,

Who never to himself hath said,

This is my own, my native land!

Whose heart hath oe'er within him Burn'd

As home his footsteps he hath turn'd

From wandering on a foreign strand."

Regarding that American flag pictured, it featured only 46 stars -- a reminder of how young America was, and is. Of course, Hawaii and Alaska were added much later, in 1959, but at the turn of the 20th century there was no contiguous United States, because Arizona and New Mexico were still territories and didn't become states until 1912.

There was also an article in that issue about ex-presidents: "The death of Mr. Cleveland leaves no ex-President living."

75 Years Ago

The Times then was also geared up for the holiday with a notice about a "Three-Day Holiday on account of July 4." There was also information about the upcoming carnival.

"Important meeting of carnival workers will be helld here July 10

"One of the most imporftant meetings to be held by workers and communities arranging the 1933 Firemans Carnival is scheduled for Monday evening, July 10 at the Engine House on Main Street.

... Complete details of the beauty contest to be held here during the carnival, which runs from July 29 to August 5, inclusive, are expected to be announced in the next week or two.

Women of Ellicott City and vicinity are invited to attend a meeting at the home of Mrs. T. Hunt Mayfield, Ellicott City, on Wednesday, July 5 at 8 p.m. Every woman interested in the Howard County Volunteer Fire Department is invited to be present."

In that article's last paragraph, they don't provide any info to locate Mrs. Hunt. Back then text wasn't litered with gauche contact information. There were no phone numbers, fax info, or e-mail addresses, just "Ellicott City."

Most likely the Mrs. Movers and Shakers of the area knew exactly the location of Mrs. Hunts' abode. Any one else interested would have to call the local phone operator to locate her, that is if they had a phone, could use a neighbors, or perhaps the one down at the local store.

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