A QUIET FOURTH IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On July 4, 1923, half of the population of the Nation's Capital had fled the city to enjoy the 147th birthday of the United States of America at "amusement resorts or picnic grounds" far outside the District's environs.
The Evening Star reports Washington "as quiet as a Sabbath's morning" and describes the day as "the safest and sanest on record."
Although fireworks are not legally sold in the District of Columbia, those residents so inclined may cross over into Maryland to make their purchases and carry them back into Washington.
So the quietness of the 4th was broken by the occasional exploding firecracker. The Star says that "in Maryland, children are permitted to celebrate vociferously."
SOURCE
"Half Of D.C. Flees Tame Fourth Rites," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., July 4, 1923, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
