Crooksville holds 7th Annual Community Celebration

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — It’s not the 4th of July just yet, but one community celebrated the country’s independence on Saturday.

Crooksville held their 7th Annual Community Celebration on Saturday at Village Park. The event, hosted by Peerless Lodge 591, says they started holding the event in late june to keep their celebration separate from bigger cities surrounding them.

“We wanted to get fireworks back into the community. It’s been several years since we’ve had a 4th of July or an Independence Day celebration. And we decided that we were going to do it, we were going to be first in the area and take the last Saturday in June. Keep it away from all the other bigger cities…so there’s no choice today. It’s here. Just a sense of community and bringing us all together,” explained Christopher Mohler, a member of Peerless Lodge 591 and President of the Village Council.

The day started early with a kid’s fishing derby at 9 a.m. for anyone under 18 years of age. Mohler explained the Donaldson family put together goody tackle boxes for the kids to take home.

In addition, the village pool was open all day for kids and adults. There were bounce houses, a dunk tank, food and beverages and more. Mohler says that no money was exchanged; the event is free and it’s their way of giving back to the community and helping keep everyone together.

The event also included a Civil War encampment, cannon firings, and a civil war historian answering questions and displaying artifacts from the war.

“After I retired I found out that I was a frustrated teacher. I started going into schools and nursing homes and giving talks about the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War I and World War II in the uniform of that war. I take artifacts in from my collection and I let the people handle it, and that really brings it home to them,” explained John Dye, a retired architect and Civil War historian.

Dye himself is a World War II veteran but says that his own involvement in the military actually played a small roll in his interest in the Civil War and other wars. He and his wife, who was a pediatrician, shared an office and when the mother of one of her patient’s asked if he knew anything about the Civil War, it took off from there.

As a gift or a reward, Dye used to bring a bullet, or a medal, or button from a specific war to the students when he would speak at schools. He says 18, 20 years later students would come up to him and tell him they still have the souvenir that he gave them– Dye said it really is very rewarding.

The Civil War reunited the nation, in the eyes of Dye, which is why he has such a passion for the war. He described a sign when you enter Appomattox, Virgina that reads “Welcome to Appomattox, where our nation reunited.”

In addition to other events throughout the day, the community held a parade at 5 p.m. and firework at 10.