The photo above shows longtime city and county leader Thomas B. "Tom" Talbert (left) on his horse, Easter, and A & S Petroleum manager James Albert on his horse, Duke, on Main Street in the 43rd Annual Huntington Beach Fourth of July Parade in 1950.
That year's event was dubbed the "Golden California Centennial Parade." The parade drew about 100,000 attendees and lasted two hours. According to a timeline held by the Huntington Beach Public Library, the 1950 celebration also included "daytime and evening dancing, jalopy races, bathing beauty contest, carnival on the beach, fireworks," a talent show, and an air show, but was "marred by a plane crash of one of the show's performers." Parade participants were served a lunch buffet at Lake Park.
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| Parade route map (Santa Ana Register, 7-2-1950) |
The city's traditional Fourth of July Parade and celebration began in 1904 to mark not just the anniversary of the nation's independence, but also the arrival (just a few days earlier) of the Pacific Electric Railway's "Red Car" trolley system to the town.
The Red Cars were to be a lynchpin of the new town's success and everyone was excited. The day's festivities were organized by the Board of Trade (Chamber of Commerce) under the direction of Jesse A. Armitage of Sunset Beach.
About 50,000 people came to the event, many of whom were encouraged to attend by the fifty (or so) real estate men promoting lot sales in Huntington Beach. In addition to the parade, there were speeches, games, a fireworks show, and (perhaps best of all) free barbeque!
