America 250 - Whitley County

Join us!

In celebrating our nation's history

Across the nation, Americans are gearing up to celebrate a momentous occasion – the 250th birthday of our great country on July 4, 2026! Starting on June 14, 2025, a wide array of events and celebrations will unfold across the United States, and Whitley County is excited to join in the festivities! We invite everyone to follow our page for the latest updates on the activities and events happening in our community as we honor this historic milestone together. Let’s make this celebration unforgettable!

Calendar of Events

(Check back often for updates!)

JULY

9 : Patriotic Concert, South Whitley Town Park

7 P.M.: The Manchester Civic Band is performing a patriotic concert at 7 p.m. at the South Whitley Town Park. Guests should bring blankets or lawn chairs to enjoy a mix of patriotic music and anthems of the different military service branches. In the event of rain, the event will be moved to the South Whitley Community Public Libray auditorium.

26 : A Visit from George Washington, South Whitley Community Public Library

12 - 2 P.M.: Get a glimpse of American Revolution history through the eyes of one of the most famous of the Founding Fathers. A George Washington re-enactor will be sharing stories of the life of the first president of the United States at the South Whitley Community Public Library.

June 14: America 250 in Whitley County launches

COLUMBIA CITY – It was a rainy start to the day, but luckily the rain cleared for Saturday, June 14 and the launch of America 250 in Whitley County.

“America 250,” also known as the Semiquincentennial OR “Semi-Q,” marks 250 years since the reading of the Declaration of Independence, which took place July 4, 1776. This 250th anniversary will take place July 4 next year, but begins with a year-long celebration.

Plans for this year-long commemoration began in 2016 when the National America 250 Commission was formed. From it, came a mission that each state and territory would create its own commission to honor the 250th birthday of this nation. It was in the spring of 2022 that Indiana became the 23rd state to form such a commission.

Whitley County is represented by a committee of local leaders and community members who have been meeting to discuss how to celebrate the country and highlight Whitley County’s local history and its part in the history of this nation. Part of this group’s goal is to ensure all parts of Whitley County are recognized throughout the year through and have a presence at different local events.

Thus, Whitley County joined the rest of Indiana in launching its America 250 celebration on Saturday, June 14. Whitley County’s event took place during the Whitley County Farmer’s Market. Members of the committee passed out buttons and flyers to those who stopped by their table. The South Whitley Community Public Library had a kid’s craft for younger generations to participate in. Mark Parker, a local Revolutionary War reenactor, brought historical pieces from that time to share with the public. Several people enjoyed learning more about history, and the younger kids had fun dressing like a Continental soldier for a photograph.

Then, at 10 a.m. members of the public stopped around the courthouse gazebo for a kick-off presentation. The National Anthem was sung and played by Columbia City student Jaxson Davison.

Columbia City Mayor Ryan Daniel delivered a speech to celebrate this historic moment. In it, he took time to highlight an important figure from Whitley County who had a profound impact on national history – Thomas Riley Marshall. Marshall was an attorney in Whitley County before becoming Governor of Indiana and Vice President under President Woodrow Wilson.

“The man who should have become president when President Woodrow Wilson suffered from a stroke, reflected the humility, duty and heart of our community throughout his career,” said Daniel. “He established child labor laws and championed anti-corruption legislation when Governor of Indiana… As vice president, he broke numerous ties in the U.S. Senate, led the Senate to adopt the 2/3rds filibuster rule, and was the first vice president in almost 100 years to be re-elected to a second term. He survived assassination attempts, was the ‘morale booster’ during World War I, and was the first vice president in history to conduct the president’s cabinet meetings.”

Daniel shared this history of Thomas Marshall, acknowledging that throughout history, Whitley County has played a part in shaping our nation.

“Our country was deeply impacted by this man (Marshall), who reflected our community’s values and beliefs. It can certainly be said that Whitley County, through Marshall, had a tremendous impact on the direction of our state, our country and even our world,” Daniel said. “The point of Whitley County’s America 250 celebration is to understand how our county fits into the 250 years of independence, leadership and progress of our nation. It is to learn about the mistakes we’ve made, to celebrate our successes and to honor the people who’ve sacrificed for all that we have.”

Whitley County Commissioner Rob Schuman stood to read a proclamation recognizing June 14, 2025 as the launch of America 250 in Whitley County and encouraging residents to “take part in this momentous occasion through civic engagement, educational initiatives and community events honoring 250 years of American history and progress.”

Part of this article read, “Whereas, the America 250 celebration is a nationwide initiative to inspire patriotism, honor the past and envision the future with communities across the country launching commemorative activities leading up to July 4, 2026; and whereas, Whitley County joins in this national effort to engage citizens, schools, organizations, and local leaders in recognizing the achievements and sacrifices that have shaped our nation; and whereas, we will celebrate our nation’s rich history and diversity of experience by honoring all men and women who achieved American Independence, these Patriots believing in the noble cause of liberty and who fought valiantly to establish this new nation.”

Jaxson Davison ended the presentation with a few more songs. This event segued into the Flag Day ceremony, which was conducted by the Elks.

The America 250 Committee of Whitley County encourages the public to join in various events and programs that will be taking place throughout the year.

“I want to encourage you to dive into the history of our country,” said the mayor. “The good, the bad and the ugly over the next year to really understand how we got to this point in our history. We are who we are because of those who came before us.”

To learn more about America 250 and the events, programs and projects coming up in the future, be sure to follow the America 250-Whitley County Facebook page which provides history and updates regularly. Keep an eye out for committee members at other community events or visit the America 250 page at whitleymuseum.com.