Montana State University Bozeman - Montanan Yearbook (Bozeman, MT)

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mm r SWEET PEA W 11 A grand, glad, glorious day of , flowcrs and festal gaiety' was the exuberant description by the Bozeman Chronicle of Bozeman's first Sweet Pea Carnival on August 15, 1906. The year of that first festival Teddy Roosevelt was president, San Francisco's earthquake occurred, Ty Cobb was becoming one of the all-time greats on the baseball field, Chicago won the World Series, and Einstein was just formulating his theories of relativity. Montana had been a state for 17 years. In 1906, a Bozeman civic committee searching for an annual event to publicize the town was attracted by Bozeman's remarkably large and beautiful sweet peas, which were in great demand. The enthusiastic original committee took as its pattern the Mardi Gras of New Orleans and the Rose Festival in Portland. For nine years, from 1906 through 1916, the Bozeman carnival was easily the most colorful event in the state. In keeping with the times, a popularly chosen queen, one of the beautiful young women of the town, was the center of attraction. A considerable amount of pageantry was associated with the queen's ladies-inwaiting and maids of honor and her officers to the crown. Prominent citizens of Bozeman became medieval dignitaries for the day: a Lord High Chancellor, Lord Mayor and Royal Herald. Evening band concerts at the coronation pavilion and at the elaborate reviewing and bandstand, usually located at Main and Black, followed the coronation festivities. Main Street was polished bright from Rouse to Grand Avenue. The Republican-Courier urged that every store front and window be decorated to the hilt and not with some little old rag cither.' Bunting was purchased in dozens of bolts by the carnival committee. A huge arch was constructed at Main and Black. It was generally about 35 feet high, lathed, plastered and kalsomincd in the best big state fair tradition. The band and reviewing stand was built adjacent to the arch. Along the street, on either side, large pillars were built to match the arch, festooned with bunting and flowers and capped with huge shocks of Gallatin Valley wheat. In addition, the street might be decorated further with great tubs of flowers in bloom, even sweet peas climbing an appropriate trellis. The parade was the outstanding event of the early carnivals. The first parade was held up an hour until the special train from Butte arrived so that the visitors would not miss the display. The parade of 1907 was reported to be 2 1 2 miles long. This parade, commented the Bozeman Chronicle, without a doubt surpassed in gorgeous splendor anything ever before seen in this region. Sweet peas dominated the occasion each year. Men and women competed for prizes for growing the flowers. One group, usually about 15 people, grew rows 40 feet or more in length. Almost every garden contained at least one short row. Each day in the week before the carnival, flowers were taken to the city library or to Langohr's Greenhouse where volunteers prepared small nosegays. At least 1,000 bunches were sent to Butte for publicity purposes, and each lady on the several passenger trains passing through town received a bouquet. Chrysanthemums, both natural and artificial, were another favorite flower. Gol-denrod sunflowers and matured grain were also used in large quantities. The town was filled with music during the carnivals. In addition to the Ladies Band, a college band was held together for the occasion. John Fechtcr and Louis Howard were beginning their long careers and often developed a youth or specialty band for the parade. Late in the early carnivals. Gene Quaw developed several musical operettas for the occasion. In 1912 The Sweet Pea Girl' and in 1913 Sweet Pea Land' were produced in the Opera House to overflowing crowds. A song for the festival, The Sweet Pea Carnival, was written by T. Byron Story with music by the favorite royal trumpeter, Louis L. Howard (for whom MSU's Howard Hall is named). Entertainment, in addition to the parade, the balls, musical comedy and evening street dancing was also popular. 105

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