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Friday, July 19, 2019

Transylvania Solder Boys Welcomed Home, Boyd Ross, Fair Turner, B.L. Glazener, Monroe Wilson Remembered, July 1919

From the Brevard News, July 18, 1919

Wednesday Was Truly Transylvania’s Big Day. . . Transylvania Welcomes Her Heroes with Greatest Celebration in History

Welcome home was the dominating features in Transylvania County’s celebration of the return of her sons who went to the world war. The celebration which was held here last Wednesday stands without precedent in the annals of this county. Everybody came to town early in the day. Everybody stayed late, and everybody was happy and determined to show the Transylvania soldier boys who glad their neighbors, kinfolk, and friends were to have them home again. While the boys have been returning for several months past, this was the first opportunity the people have had to give them a real welcome home, and Transylvania, from the youngest to the oldest, took advantage of the occasion. 

The day was observed as a holiday throughout the county. Business was virtually suspended by all the business houses in Brevard and other towns in the county. In the early part of the morning people began to arrive from all sections of Transylvania. Those who had for several days been eagerly consulting local weather prophets were happy on Wednesday morning to find the sky clear and all sings indicating that the weather was the regular Brevard brand. The morning was ideal. It was just the kind to make people feel like celebrating if they had the chance. Transylvania had the occasion and the day so they proceeded to make good at celebrating.

Interest centered first on the parade which took place at 11 o’clock. Every military, patriotic, fraternal organization in the county was represented in the line of march. There were in the parade depicting Transylvania’s service in the war a number of floats. Among the first of these was the memorial to the Transylvania boys who died while in the service of their country. Three of these, Boyd Ross, Fair Turner, and B.L. Glazener, died in camp, and Monroe Wilson died of wounds received in battle.

It is estimated that more than 1,500 people were in the parade, which led by the Bagdad Temple brass band, marched thru the principal streets of the town last Wednesday morning in honor of the Transylvania soldier boys home from the world war. The parade was formed in front of the Franklin Hotel and passed thru Main Street, Oakdale Avenue, Probarte Avenue, and Railroad Street, to the Station. From the Station the line of march led by way of Depot Street, Caldwell Street, and Main Street to the Court House.

The floats and the long column of marchers made a fine showing to the hundreds of people who filled the sidewalks and every available viewpoint on Main Street. Transylvania’s heroes of the world war who marched in uniform were greeted by storms of applause form the spectators at every turn. The parade was interrupted by a shower of rain which didn’t last long however and although the marching throng did not return to the square in military formation, the crowd was there by 1 o’clock with keen appetites and enthusiasm undampened. The housewives of the county had been called upon to make the Transylvania solder boys forget the days of hard tack and bully beef and right nobly did they respond to the call. There was a multitude to be fed and there was enough fried chicken and plenty of ham sandwiches to feed the population of half a dozen counties the size of Transylvania.
The afternoon was given over to games and athletic contests which had been planned by the committee in charge of the welcome home celebration. Every feature of the day’s exercises was carried thru without a hitch, and expressions of satisfaction and pleasure were heard on every hand as the crowds on the streets began to disperse at the close of the day’s celebration. And it was a celebration that will linger a life-time in the memories of those who had the good fortune to take part in welcoming home Transylvania’s soldier boys.

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