Macoupin County reading of the Declaration of Independence, Celebrating America @ 250
By RUTH GILL
Enquirer~Democrat Reporter
The setting is the main courtroom of the Macoupin County Courthouse, with its cast iron, ornate decoration, and one is about to hear the words that set us free. Bobbi Bates, with the City of Carlinville, said, “Imagine it is 1776; the building you are in wasn’t even built for another 90 years. Immigrants who came to this continent were tired- tired of working hard, struggling to survive, and being controlled by the British crown and getting no help in return. So what did they do? They organized and had a few conversations about what we were going to do. They decided to write a letter to the King; that letter became the Declaration of Independence.”
On Saturday, July 4, there was a reading of the Declaration of Independence with over 100 people in attendance, in a setting that felt like a trip back to 1776. Before the ceremony started, Gavin Pressey, a Blackburn College Student, played historic patriotic music on an electric keyboard. Lane Harmon, Carlinville High School music director, gave the history and played different songs on his trumpet, such as “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Yankee Doodle.”
To begin the program, Honorable Judge Thomas Denby and Mayor Doug Downey welcomed everyone for coming. Judge Denby said he was happy everyone came out today to share in this special occasion. It is not every day that the United States celebrates 250 years. He emphasized that all people are created equal and should enjoy our freedom.
Mary Tinder, of the Carlinville Winning Communities and Macoupin County Historical Society, said, “In this room, I see the “Spirit of America” in all of you!” Mary also said, “We are a very young country, and yet we have come so far. Today is about our collective history and future of this young nation, and its people. It is about us. We all have hopes and dreams. History belongs to all of us.”
Read the full story in the July 16, 2026 issue of the Macoupin County Enquirer~Democrat.
