This is Camden's Great Day

The Bangor Daily News, Bangor ME, 30 August 1906


CAMDEN, Aug. 29 - On Thursday occurs Camden's big celebration in honor of William Conway, a native of Camden, who while on duty at the Pensacola Navy Yard, Jan. 12, 1861, was ordered by one of the officers of the yard to haul down the American flag and refused. In honor of this sailor, a memorial will be unveiled tomorrow, it is expected that thousands will be in attendance. The boulder is a huge stone weighing about 30 tons and it required 31 pairs of horses to transport it from Ogier's hill to the schoolhouse square in front of the Congregational church. The bronze tablet was furnished by the Loyal Legion and the expense and moving and setting the boulder was borne by the town. The exercises will commence at the Camden trotting grounds at 2 o'clock where there are seats for 2000 people. The procession will be formed as follows:

Camden Cadet Band; George S. Cobb Post, G. A. R.; Municipal officers of the town and village in carriages; Gov. Cobb and staff; Togus band; Officers and members of the Loyal Legion; Commandery of Maine band from battleships; Seven companies of blue jackets from the battleships, under arms. Rear Admiral R. D. Evans and officers from the fleet. The following exercises will be held at the park:

Music, prayer by the chaplain of the commandery, Rev. Dr. J. S. Sewall of Bangor; address of welcome by T. A. Hunt, address by Major Gen. J. L. Chamberlain of Portland, rehearsing the story of Conway's refusal to haul down the American flag at the Pensacola Navy Yard Jan 12 1861, Gov. Cobb and others. A letter from President Roosevelt will be read. Following the exercises at the park, the procession will mark to the memorial, where it will be unveiled by Maj. John T. Richards commander of the Maine Commandery. A national salute of 21 guns will be fired in connectoin with the unveiling. The following is the line of March: Form on Bay View and Chestnut strets, over Limerick down Belmont avenue to Elm, through Elm to Main, up Main to Mountain, Mountain to High, High to Norumbega, counter march, up Norumbega to Trim, over Trim, down Washington to Alden, over Alden to the Camden Trotting Park, where exercises will be held. The line will then be again formed and march down Knowlton street to Mechanic, down Mechanic to Free, over Free to Pearl, up Pearl to Norwood avenue, over Norwood avenue to Elm, from Elm to Park, over Park to Union, down Union to the schoolhouse square, where the memorial will be unveiled. The village is resplendent with red, white and blue and the buildings are nearly covered with bunting. Many houses along the line of march are decorated and the summer cottages on Dillingham's Point look gay in honor of the North Atlantic Fleet.