History of Reedsburg and the Upper Baraboo Valley, by Merton Edwin Krug, Publ. February 1929 by the author. Printed by Democrat Printing Company, Madison, Wis., Page 29-31

Even in those days of frontier life and want the spirit of nationalism was not dormant in the hearts of men. There was little enough with which to make a celebration but the people were very patriotic. The first thing that was done in way of preparing for the day, was to raise a liberty pole, regretting very much that they had no flag to fly. While the men pondered gravely the women resolved that the village should not pass a flagless Fourth, and set their wits to work to devise a plan to get sufficient material for the Star Spangled Banner.

The men wore blue denim, and so did many of the women, but this, after much wear, was not very blue, so it was put upon a white background. The men wore buckskin reinforcements on seats and knees, and, to economize as well as to get pieces that were of a brighter blue, the women cut out denim patches under the buckskin and made them into stars. A woman's undergarment furnished a square of white and some stripes, while by a little shortening of the men's shirts, some red stripes were obtained. When the flag was completed, and before attaching it to the pole, the women determined to confide the secret of their achievement to a young man whom they all highly admired. Horace CROSWELL was the ladies' man at that time and the general confidante.

They spread the flag before him. He looked at it skeptically.

"That won't do," he immediately declared, glancing at the six-pointed stars. No doubt his admiration for the women's resourcefulness was immense. Yet he chose to tell them of their mistake, so it could be corrected without any of the other men learning of it.

"The national flag," he continued, "has only five points!"

The stars were all ripped off; and as there was no material with which to make new ones, one point of each was cut off, and the others twisted into place. Then the millerwright's daughter, Miss Agnes McCLUNG, embroidered on a piece of cloth this charming couplet:

"The Star Spangled Banner, long may it wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brae."

This was stitched to the flag and the work was pronounced complete. Such is the story of the first flag unfurled over the present site of the city of Reedsburg, July 4, 1849.

Then came the dinner. Groceries and luxuries were few, but the combined possessions of the settlers formed quite an array of dainties, though no one person could have made even a pie independent of her neighbors. Rev. Elder Alexander LOCKE, who had earlier that spring moved to Winfield, came to town for the occasion and delivered the address. His only trouble was that he had forgotten the exact date the Declaration of Independence was signed; and not one being able to inform him, his hearers bade him "proceed and never mind". Otherwise the lecture was pronounced a success. The dinner, the like of which had never been tasted in this part of the world before, was thoroughly enjoyed and the fragments were given to the Indians that they too might make merry.

The celebration was held in the mill which had neither roof nor floor. But some boards were put down and upon these the people danced that night. The lights were a few flickering tallow candles. This dance, several months prior to the one held in Benedict's shop, was the first dance held in Reedsburg. Long years afterward, when those early settlers spoke of that first Fourth, they said it was the most enjoyable Fourth of July they ever spent.

THE FOURTH IN REEDSBURG, 1860Page 61

In the summer of 1860 it became every loyal northern village and city to make enthusiastical display of patriotism and approval of the steps Official Washington was taking in dealing with the problem of secession. On July 4, that year, was an ideal time for this display, and northwestern Sauk county did not fail to make the most of it. But owing to the celebrations in Delton, Loganville, Ironton and other parts of Sauk County, the Reedsburg gathering was necessarily small.

About ten o'clock a procession was formed, and marched to the public square (now the city park) where about 1,000 persons had gathered to listen to an oration by S. S. WILKINSON H. M. HASKELL gave a reading, and the spiritual parts of the celebration were conducted by Rev. W. LUSK. The Hon. E. G. WHEELER was president of the day, and J. S. STRONG, father of Rollin M. STRONG, was marshal.
Submitted by Carol