CHICAGO — This week's #ThrowbackThursday is a film reel of downtown Jefferson Park in an era of big celebrations, big trucks and big hair.
The video shows a parade of local businesses and community groups rolling up Milwaukee Avenue to celebrate the country's bicentennial on July 4, 1776. Among the throng are Boy Scouts dressed as Red Coats, cowboys strumming guitars on the hood of a sedan, and — for some reason — what looks like a city-owned street sweeper.
A group of Revolutionary War re-enactors even capped off the event by firing 18th-century cannons.
Some groups seen in the video, like the Jefferson Park Lions Club, remain active to this day. Others are long gone, like the Wilson Park Neighborhood Association, according to Northwest Chicago Historical Society board member Frank Suerth.
DNAinfo is partnering with the Northwest Chicago Historical Society for a new history post each week. All photos are the property of Northwest Chicago Historical Society unless otherwise indicated.
For more photos and information, visit the Northwest Chicago Historical Society's Facebook page.
