This is one of the beautiful old buildings located on Officers Row in Fort Vancouver, Washington. I spent July 4th, on the lawn across the street from these homes... nearly every year as a child. Craft and food booths, a concert stage down yonder, and blankets with families and friends all around. You spend the day just relaxing, tossing a frisbee or football, playing cards, touring the booths. Then of course most people enjoy elephant ears in the evening. Once darkness takes over, generally around 8:45pm... the fireworks show begins. Claiming to be "the largest display west of the mississippi" it is something to not be missed.
Every year, I think... oh the crowds, the kids think it is the same ol' thing, but yet we nearly every year... find ourselves there. It really is such a display that it makes the wait and stress and ... SO WORTH IT!!
(Here I sit, thinking... I want to go, but dh has to work tomorrow... it would be nice to stay home and BBQ and have set off our small fireworks. But... oh the Fort is SO WORTH IT!) UGH... decisions. :)
Here is a short bit that I found on the net... HAPPY 4th! Everyone!!
Soldiers considered Vancouver one of the best places to be stationed, clear from the beginning. The setting is unsurpassed: Mt. Hood is clearly visible from the fort; Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams are also visible from nearby. The river plus the excellent farm land made food plentiful. The people of Vancouver welcomed the soldiers and provided hospitality and a good social life.
A few years ago the city of Vancouver took over a series of buildings which date back as far as Civil War times and remodeled them into offices and townhouses; the street is now called Officers Row.
Vancouver Barracks was the main US Army base in the northwest during the Indian wars, Spanish American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and World War I. During World War II its functions were gradually moved to Fort Lewis, about a hundred miles north.
A firework is classified as a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes.
Fireworks were originally invented by the Chinese, for entertainment purposes, as a natural extension of the Chinese invention of gunpowder. In China, they were first made by firework masters who were well respected for their knowledge of the many complex techniques used to create firework displays. Such important events and festivities as New Year's and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival were and still are times when fireworks are guaranteed sights.
Improper use of fireworks may be dangerous, both to the person operating them (risks of burns and wounds) and to bystanders; in addition, they may start a fire if landing on flammable material. For this reason, the use of fireworks is generally legally restricted. In the United States, fireworks are classified as either consumer or display fireworks based upon the amount of pyrotechnic composition an item contains. Display fireworks are restricted by law for use by professionals. Consumer items are available to the public and are smaller versions containing limited amounts of material to reduce potential dangers.
In the USA
America's earliest settlers brought their enthusiasm for fireworks to the United States. Fireworks and black ash were used to celebrate important events long before the American Revolutionary War. The very first celebration of Independence Day was in 1777, six years before Americans knew whether the new nation would survive the war; fireworks were a part of all festivities. In 1789, George Washington's inauguration was also accompanied by a fireworks display. This early fascination with their noise and color continues today.
In 2004, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, started using aerial fireworks launched with compressed air rather than gunpowder, the first time that such a launch system was used commercially. The display shell explodes in the air using an electronic timer. The advantages of compressed air launch are a reduction in fumes, and much greater accuracy in height and timing.
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