THE ROUND TOP
FOURTH OF JULY PARADE

Cowboys and cowgirls gallop through town by the hundreds. Antique cars and homemade floats roll by and children scramble as candy flies through the air. Politicians stand and wave trying to look re-electable.

It's Norman Rockwell run amuck here.  Local oral history indicates that the Anglo-American pioneers who settled the Round Top community celebrated the Fourth of July as their independence day soon after they arrived. The first recorded celebration which received widespread publicity was in 1851, the 75th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States.

Issac LaFayette Hill was orator for the day and H. Ledbetter served as marshall. On the centennial of our independence, Joel W. Robinson spoke to an overflow crowd. Round Top was a must for politicians to be seen and heard on July 4. Many traveled miles by train to Ledbetter, Texas and then were transported to Round Top by stage.

Traditionally a cannon was fired as the official start of the July 4 celebrations. In 1889, the cannon did not fire. John George Kaiser was inspecting the cannon when it exploded and Mr. Kaiser, president of The Rifle Association, was severely injured. He died several days later from loss of blood and infection.  Today, 120 years later as the cannon was fired, there was a heart stopping second of surprise at the sound of a cannon. 

Here are some photos from today's parade:  Come join us next year!!!!