Lincoln Out Of Date

C. V. Rubottom, one of the builders of the Lincoln community Hall, included a short look at Lincoln's Independence Day celebrations during the years right around 1920 in "The Bright Side of Ranch Life," a chapter of his unpublished Montana Memories.. The following appeared in the UBVHS Gold Pans and Singl trees as part of his description of building of the Hall in 1918.

The Fourth of July was always an important holiday in our valley. The women folks usually planned on new dresses for that event and worked hard for days to get ready. A barbecue was held in the park across from the school house and we usually picked up a few bucking horses for some of the boys to ride. Foot races and other trials of skill were staged, which included a pie eating contest. These pies were filled with blueberries so that the faces would be well smeared. Small boys were the usual contestants in this race.

The big lunch was the drawing card, together with the chance to talk with old friends. For the first few years I was in the valley, we brought our own lunch. That is, the married folks did, and the bachelors helped in buying the coffee. Later, as more people came in from outside to attend, the lunch was furnished by the Community Association and a charge was made. A pit was dug and rigged with iron bars to barbecue a side of beef. Several of the men would spend the night cooking the beef over a bed of coals, and it was truly a tasty dish. The day was always crowned by a dance.