On July 4, 1919, under a blazing summer sun, Nyack staged the most spectacular Fourth of July celebration in its history. At the heart of it stood a towering white memorial arch—a homemade Arc de Triomphe—spanning South Broadway at Hudson Avenue. Built to welcome local soldiers home from World War I, the arch became both the physical and emotional centerpiece of the day.
The parade that morning passed under the arch not once, but twice, as hundreds of veterans, civilians, bands, and flag-waving children wound their way through the village. After the final marchers completed the route, the crowd gathered at the reviewing stand opposite the Nyack Library for speeches and medal presentations.
From that spot, local photographer Norman Burke captured a sweeping panoramic photograph—a 35-inch-wide image that remains one of the most remarkable visual records of Nyack’s past. In it, veterans stand in uniform, umbrellas dot the sunbaked crowd, and villagers lean from windows to catch a glimpse of history in the making.
The photo freezes a single moment—but the day itself was anything but still. Nyack’s Fourth of July in 1919 was a day of cheers, tears, and triumphant homecoming—framed forever by its own Arc de Triomphe.
The Long March: Twice Through the Arch
The parade route was designed for drama and symbolism. The 3-mile loop ensured that every participant, from veterans to civilians, would pass beneath the arch not once but twice.
At 9:20 a.m., the parade began at the Empire Hook and Ladder Company in Upper Nyack. Leading the way was Stewart Walters of the Grand Army of the Republic, riding proudly on a white horse. Behind him rode the remaining thirteen Civil War veterans in automobiles—elderly men whose service stretched back more than half a century.
A Long Line of Marchers
Spanish-American War veterans came next, also in cars, followed by the largest and most emotional group: soldiers and sailors freshly home from the trenches of Europe. Uniformed, sunburnt, and cheered by a roaring crowd, these men represented every corner of Nyack life—sons, brothers, husbands, friends.
Wounded veterans unable to march were driven by members of the Women’s Motor Corps, their vehicles decorated for the occasion. Red Cross volunteers followed on foot, along with members of the Nyack Fire Departments, civic leaders, and dozens of local citizens waving flags. Pony carts decorated in red, white, and blue carried children. Bands from Tarrytown, the Tappan Zee Military Band, and the Hudson View Council Fife and Drum Corps kept the cadence lively.
Even the Sons of Columbus, a society for Italian Americans, marched proudly near the end of the line, signaling the growing diversity of the village. Bringing up the rear were Reverend Father Crosby and Reverend A.L. Longley in a touring car.
A Village Transformed for the Day
Nyack dressed for the occasion. Businesses along the parade route, including the Broadway Theater, were draped in bunting and flags. Although most shops closed for the holiday, the Broadway Theater welcomed post-parade visitors with a special program: Lillian Gish in I’ll Get Him Yet, a newsreel, and Charlie Chaplin’s A Night in the Show making a return engagement.
Broadway Theater posters for July 4, 1919 movies
Down at Nyack Beach, picnickers filled the shoreline. Families arrived on foot or in automobiles, parking along the roads. The local newspaper grumbled about men arriving at the beach in little more than jersey tops and trunks, calling their attire “indecent.”
At the ball field near Nyack Hospital, a spirited Army vs. Navy veterans’ baseball game ended in a tight 8–7 victory for the Navy. Meanwhile, the Christian Herald Children’s Home (now Camp Ramah) welcomed dozens of children from New York City for a two-week summer stay.
Evening Events
As the sun began to set, the Nyack Fire Patrol hosted a community dance at the Central Fire Station on Park Street. The McCormick brothers of South Nyack provided live music. At the vacant “government place”—a long-empty lot at the corner of Hudson and Broadway where a post office had been promised but never built—the Tappan Zee Military Band performed a free concert for the public.
The Reviewing Stand: Speeches, Medals, and a Controversial Orator
After the parade, the crowd gathered at the reviewing stand opposite the Nyack Library. Local photographer Norman Burke captured the scene in a sweeping panoramic photograph that remains a unique artifact of the day.
The parade ended at the reviewing stand across from the Nyack Library. There, under a punishing July sun, umbrellas opened and handkerchiefs were draped over heads as villagers crowded shoulder-to-shoulder to watch the ceremony.
Speechmaking
Judge Arthur Tompkins opened with a heartfelt welcome to the returning veterans. He spoke of pride, relief, and sorrow for the fallen. Behind him stood the temporary Honor Roll plaque listing the names of Nyack’s war dead, each marked with a gold star.
Then came the day’s surprise: a keynote speech from Judge William Cunningham of Ellenville, a nationally known orator. Fresh off a speech before 90,000 people at Yankee Stadium, Cunningham used his Nyack platform to denounce the League of Nations, arguing passionately for American isolationism. For a crowd filled with men who had just fought alongside America’s allies, the speech seemed oddly out of step with the mood of unity and international cooperation.
Following the speeches, each veteran—or their family representatives received a bronze medal. The seven parents of soldiers who had died in the war received gold medals. Later, the number of lost sons would prove even higher. A mix-up marred the ceremony briefly when one gold medal was mistakenly given to a returning veteran. The Nyack Evening Journal called for its return the next day.
An Exhausting, Unforgettable Day
By nightfall, only a smattering of small fireworks marked the end of the day. The village, tired from hours of cheering, marching, dancing, and remembering, let the evening fade quietly.
But for those who had been there, July 4, 1919, remained forever etched as the day Nyack gave its heroes a homecoming like no other.
Mike Hays lived in the Nyacks for 38-years. He worked for McGraw-Hill Education in New York City for many years. Hays serves as President of the Historical Society of the Nyacks, Vice-President of the Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center, and Upper Nyack Historian. Married to Bernie Richey, he enjoys cycling and winters in Florida. You can follow him on Instagram as UpperNyackMike.
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