In 1976 We Celebrated America’s Bicentennial By Painting Fire Hydrants, And It Was Magical

In 1976 I was young enough to spend an afternoon digging in the backyard making mud pies, but old enough to learn the United States was celebrating its 200th birthday.

I knew because around town someone was painting the fire hydrants in patriotic red, white, and blue designs. Some hydrants were clever folk-art versions of the stars and stripes. Others depicted minutemen, and one hydrant near my grandfather’s house was a musket-toting dalmatian ready to defend the nation or put out a house fire. It was my favorite.

As we traveled for summer vacation, we learned that other towns in many states were painting patriotic fire hydrants too. We loved to point them out while riding loose, in the way-back of the station wagon. (Yes, 50 years ago, children were not legally required to be strapped down in a car.)