By Chris Faulkner
More than 100 years ago, Fort Madison resident Charlie Korschgen noticed that none of the children were out playing and enjoying the Fourth of July holiday.
That might seem normal, given all the distractions children face these days. But this was before the PlayStation, before streaming, before TikTok and Instagram, before smartphones, DVDs, CDs, and even television —black and white or color.
It was on July 4, 1913, that Korschgen decided to engage the neighborhood kids in a special celebration on the west end of town. He bought a dozen small flags, strapped his large snare drum around his neck, and proceeded to march around the neighborhood.
Like an American version of the Pied Piper, Korschgen soon had a line of fellow marchers.
That began a tradition that at one point featured upward of 1,000 children taking part during the 1940s, according to one article.
The parade moved downtown, and this past Friday, residents watched the 113th parade, with 118 participants, march from 15th Street and Avenue G to the end of downtown at the Moose Lodge in the 600 block of Avenue G.
The Moose lodge members serve ice cream treats at the end of the route, a tradition the group has maintained since 1946. Additionally, the volunteers who organize the parade announce the award winners for the various categories.
There are the bike riders, a few unicyclists, walkers, humorous entries, motorized entries, and there’s even one for those who march along with their pets.
I joined in when I first moved to Fort Madison as a member of the Jaycees. Once known as the Junior Chamber of Commerce, they took over when Korschgen was getting too old to organize the event. When the Jaycees disbanded in 1999, former members and other volunteers took over.
I was soon getting bikes prepared for our four children.
What makes this a special memory for the people of Fort Madison is that, although it’s organized to a degree, it remains simple.
It doesn’t take a large chunk out of the family budget to decorate a bike or a wagon and put on some patriotic-looking glasses and face paint.
Although there’s no formal record of multiple generations participating over time, one family took advantage of the parade to showcase four generations.
Janice Feaney, 92, rode in the front of a float and was joined by two of her daughters, Mary Mendez of Miami, Fla., and Kathleen Moseley of Albuquerque, N.M. Moseley’s daughter, Ariana Uchizono, of Washington, D.C., was caring for her four-year-old daughter, Nova.
Feaney’s neighbor, Danny Mahoney, set up the reunion of sorts and drove the truck that pulled the float.
The family took second place in the motorized vehicle division.
Korschgen’s memory will never fade, and not just because the banner leading the parade bears his name.
Right behind the banner is someone carrying the large drum as Charlie did. But the carrier has nothing to strike it with. At some point, years ago, it was deemed unsafe to keep pounding on the aging instrument, so it remains a silent memory to the man who just wanted to give children something to do.