May Day

The first May Day celebration in Bridgeport started in 1911 and was held at Lanterman Park. Every school in the county was invited to join in the festivities. By the third annual May Day event, a reporter noted that “the crowd was the largest ever gathered in Bridgeport and the parade was simply grand.”  More than a thousand children were in the line of march, three hundred from Lawrenceville alone, and practically every businessman in Bridgeport was represented by a float of some description. Many of the schools also had floats. The parade marched from the Bridgeport Twp High School to the B & O Depot and returned. By 1917 Bridgeport had added a Horse show to the May Day festivities. Researchers believe the celebrations ended about 1918.

In 1915 Sumner held a May Field Day with activities that included the May Day Parade, the band concerts crowning of the queen, the May Pole dance and other drills by school children during the afternoon and free motion pictures at night at the opera house interspersed with specialties by the little folks. This was the second year that a field day had been held.  The athletic meet was open to all high school athletes and others, with nearby schools being invited.

Citizens Telephone Company float carrying the lady telephone operators. Note the switchboard and candle stick phone.