Hello, Water Valley neighbors! We hope everyone had a safe, joyful, and blessed Independence Day weekend. Reflecting on everything our community shared this past Saturday, July 4th, Mayor Tommy Reynolds perfectly captured the sentiment of the entire town:
“It was a great day today—I’ve never been to a more meaningful July 4th celebration.”
Reynolds offered a warm welcome to the crowd and read the first prayer of the Continental Congress penned by Rev Jacob Duche’. The Continental Congress later adopted the Declaration of Independence. From the deep respect paid to our nation’s history to the fascinating look back at our own local heritage, it truly was a landmark America 250 celebration for Water Valley. Here is a recap of how our community marked this historic day together! 
Patriotic Harmony & Shared History
Our program kicked off with an unforgettable lineup of music and community reflection that celebrated the diverse fabric of our nation.
Joyful Voices and Moving Melodies: Effie Burt led the attendees in a deeply powerful, rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing, and we enjoyed her beautiful solo performance of What the World Needs Now is Love.
Sing-Alongs: Neighbors stood shoulder-to-shoulder with song sheets for America the Beautiful led by April Hammons. Eddie Wood and Dawn Denham closed things out by leading a rousing performance of Woody Guthrie’s 1940 classic, This Land is Your Land. Fun fact (not fact checked, however) shared by our emcee: Guthrie wrote it as a response to God Bless America and penned over 300 verses! We stuck to a few selected favorites for our sing-along).
Between the musical sets, we anchored ourselves in the foundational promises of our country. Residents led moving, shared community readings of the Declaration of Independence read by James McCormick, Mary Beth Pulsifer, Anne Winebrenner and Tommy Reynolds. For the Bill of Rights, Jesse Gurner read the First Amendment guaranteeing freedom of the press and freedom of religion. Chief Jason Mangrum read the second amendment guaranteeing the right to keep and bear arms. Eddie Wood read the 3rd, 4th, and 5th amendments. Jack Williams read the 6th through the 10th amendments. Calvin Hawkins proudly read the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, honoring the abolition of slavery, the guarantee of citizenship and due process, and the protection of voting rights.
The Parade & Community Catch-Ups
Following the program, our streets came alive with color and pride during the official parade. Local Girl Scouts (including Nicole Folsom’s daughter in uniform!) and Cub Scouts led the way, escorting a beautiful array of flags—including the American, State, City, our historic 1976 Bicentennial flag, and the official America 250 flag!
After the parade route (where we were very grateful for the water bottles waiting outside!), the community headed over to the Casey Jones Railroad Museum for America’s birthday cake and Cokes. It was the perfect backdrop for catching up with neighbors.
The 1977 Time Capsule Exhibit is Now Open!
The newly unearthed 1977 Bicentennial Time Capsule was another major highlight of the day! As a reminder, this was recently discovered near City Hall on the electric department window side, thanks to City Clerk Vivian Snider redirecting our search.
The Condition: While moisture had infiltrated the heavy-duty PVC capsule due to an unglued end cap, it has not dampened our community spirit. We have the original inventory list and are actively working to recreate the contents. In addition, Grant Thompson and Jack Gurner have generously provided home movies and bicentennial slides from the 1976 parade!
Your Summer Invitation: The original 1977 capsule and its recovered contents are currently on display at the Water Valley Railroad Museum.
Looking Ahead: The public is warmly invited to bring items to the museum all summer long to contribute to a brand-new time capsule. We will repack it at the end of the summer and rebury it, not to be opened for another 50 years!
A Massive Thank You to Our Sponsors
Events like this do not happen without the incredible generosity of our local organizations. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the sponsors who made this America 250 celebration possible:
- Oddfellows Lodge in Water Valley
- The Main Street Association
- Bozart Gallery
- The Lions Club
- The City of Water Valley
Thank you to everyone who organized, participated, volunteered, and attended. You made this a July 4th we will never forget.
to show your Water Valley pride!