“The Fourth of July is celebrated in all the cities and populous towns of New England, as elsewhere in the United States by military parades, firing of cannon, display of colors, ringing of bells, patriotic orations, public dinners etc” - - Universal Traveler 1839.

LeRoy’s first Fourth of July celebration was in 1831, and was not the rip roaring, flag waving, event that was described in the Universal Traveler. According to the Rochester Observer, the  Fourth of July was celebrated for the first time in LeRoy in 1831: “We commemorated the independence of our great and growing Republic . . . at the time appointed, the children of the different Sabbath Schools in town met in the basement room of the Presbyterian house of worship . . .the exercises commenced after a piece of sacred music by an appropriate and introductory prayer by Elder Clay of the Baptist Church . . .” In 1831, July 4th was a Saturday, yet like many other early Fourth of July celebrations, the day was
spent in . . . .