Out of Debt Celebration

One of the largest one-day celebrations in Washington’s history was held October 3, 1935. On that day the town celebrated the fact that, for the first time in anyone’s memory, the city was debt free. Celebration planning went on for months as the anticipation grew. Most of us have been there, paying off a loan on a car house, or schooling. It is a great feeling. This occurrence was our entire city paying off all its debts incurred by its growth and maintenance. Making it more special was the fact that it was occurring at the height of the great depression.

Early records were scarce, but in the late 1800’s the city issued bonds for a waterworks system as well as the purchase of the property for what is now Glendale Cemetery. More improvements followed, such as the paving of roads and the purchase of the city building, but by 1935 it had all been paid in full.

As for the celebration, interestingly held on a Thursday, CILCO arranged for the center of Square to be brightly lit for the evening festivities. Traffic was completely diverted from the Square for the evening. Starting with a school band concert, the celebration led into a large family picnic, which was moved to inside the city building due to the cooler weather.

When the program resumed after the meal, the large crowd was treated to a variety of songs and readings by various school groups and individuals. The highlight for everyone was the keynote speech by Senator Everett Dirksen, attending by special invitation, who commended Washington for their financial responsibility. Commenting “You might think this is purely a local observance, but it should be of national significance. There is not a single town or city in the country which could not learn a valuable lesson from this observance.”

After Senator Dirksen’s words the last bond was burned in front of the crowd to cheering and jubilation, and the evening concluded with wonderful memories formed for those in attendance.