Downers Grove Centennial

“I am the Spirit of the Grove!  
May you live together in peace and love!  

As upright in spirit as my trees— Doing your best, as the least of these.  

Down long years has faith been kept—  
‘Neath my green arch men have sung and wept.  

Greetings to all from the long ago— Thus saith the spirit of the Grove.” 

(Poem presenting the Spirit of the Grove pageant) 

Downers Grove—named after one of its founders Pierce Downer—is a village in DuPage County, Illinois. In 1932, the city celebrated its 100th anniversary on July 4th to coincide with George Washington’s bicentennial birthday. The celebration was called Downers Grove Centennial, also known by residents as “The Spirit of the Grove,” representing the friendliness and the helpfulness of its residents to each other and to visitors and newcomers. The celebration began with an elaborate parade and also featured pageants about George Washington, the history of Downers Grove, the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I. The event culminated in a spectacular fireworks show as an airplane, spotted by searchlights, flew over a crowd of 35,000 people. 

Reactions to the celebration were mixed, as some residents felt that it was inappropriate to celebrate amidst the economic problems of the Depression where there was so much misery, anxiety, and scarcity of money.