One hundred years ago today, the executive committee for the celebration of the Centennial of Elizabethville, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, announced that the celebration would be postponed indefinitely because of the then recent entry of the United States into the World War. Notice was given in the Elizabethville Echo of 19 April 1917:
Centennial Postponed Indefinitely.
War the Reason. Our Country First and The Ourselves.
At a meeting of the executive committee on Monday evening it was unanimously decided to postpone the holding of the proposed Centennial for an indefinite period of time.
Under the present existing conditions with our nation at war it would neither have been fitting nor patriotic to have had a week of festivities. The committee therefore, deemed it its duty to postpone the event for the summer at least.
Naturally it was with reluctance what this step was taken for although the work had only begun it had nevertheless proved itself to be very interesting. The various committeemen had responded nobly to the work and affairs were moulding themselves into excellent shape so that the outlook for a successful Centennial was brilliant indeed.
The chairman, Mr. F. P. Margerum, was especially grateful to all for the splendid manner in which the men had rallied to the cause. He appreciated their efforts and thanked them for the co-operative spirit which had prevailed at all meetings as well as in all the work thus far accomplished.
Matters will remain as they are at present. All the slogans and Flag designs submitted will be carefully preserved for none had as yet been decided upon. These will be entered into the next contest and will have an equal chance of winning. No names will be disclosed for none are known, the envelopes have not and will not be opened until the proper time arrives and then only will that of the winner be made known.
The same thing applies to the Queen Contest. The names which had been entered will still be in the race when another date is set for the celebration. Here too no names will now be published and the money already dropped will be kept inviolate until the proper time arrives.
The idea is not to drop the centennial entirely. It will be celebrated. Just when is now however a question. It depends entirely as to the continuance of the present war. These are conditions over which we have no control and while we regret the postponing nevertheless as citizens of this great nation we could not have entered into a proper spirit of the event knowing as we do that our country in these trying hours need our all.
Our Country First and Always. Let us stand by the President and do our part in bringing to a successful end the war now entered upon. At its termination we can then celebrate a glorious victory as well as a Centennial.
We can, however, keep the spirit burning in our hearts. We can think of ideas and methods whereby the event can be better celebrated. We hope too that the perfect harmony which prevailed in this undertaking will charterize all enterprises of this borough. May this effort even in its infancy have a means of putting a new impetus into the citizens of this community for the doing of greater things. If this hope can be realized when the proper time arrives the Centennial celebration will be a greater success than was ever anticipated.
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