Fourth of July festivities and 100 years of Ovando School

The Fourth of July came at a perfect time, weather-wise, for the Blackfoot and Clearwater watersheds - just before temperatures were supposed to get into the high-nineties and even hundreds this week.

Celebrations across the valleys were a delightful mix of some of the best parts of small town Montana, with elements that catered to locals and visitors alike. Books were available for purchase to support the Swan Valley Community Library, families wore matching outfits and water and popsicles, along with candy, were passed out from parade floats.

The actual beginning of the Ovando Fourth of July celebration is lost to history. Records in the Ovando Museum indicate that a rodeo and barbecue was commonly held in the early 1970s at the rodeo grounds north of Ovando on state land off Monture Road.

This year's parade featured a float by Ovando School highlighting its 100-year anniversary. Students and teachers were dressed in period costumes with somber expressions. As the Ovando Parade is prone to, the parade circled town back by the school and on the second time through, the entire school was dressed in their school colors, wildly cheering and waving at the crowd.

Other participants included the Ovando and Helmville Volunteer Fire Department, Powell County Search and Rescue, antique vehicles, Mandy Miller from Ovando in traditional regalia and her pack horse, decorated side-by-sides, Canadian bicyclists costumed with ribbon and bunting by the Blackfoot Angler, a rafting float loaded with squirt-gun armed children and numerous patriotically dressed walkers.

"We go to the Ovando, Seeley Lake and Lincoln parades every Fourth of July," Tiffany Shotnokoff from Lincoln said. "We like the friendly people in the small towns."

In the early days a half beef was turned for 22 hours on a spit over a fire at the rodeo grounds. After the rodeo a grand feed was served to everyone.

For the 1976 bicentennial the party moved to downtown Ovando and firemen dug a pit to roast the beef over coals. Potatoes and corn on the cob in the husk were layered over the top of the meat, then everything was covered with grass and sheets of tin roofing were laid over the top.

All donations for the meal go to fund Ovando's Volunteer Fire Department.

"We feed 300 to 400 people every year," Wayne Slaght from Ovando said. "It's a get-together, anyway."

In both Condon and Seeley Lake, Highway 83 was the venue for the parade routes. It was closed off for approximately a half hour when the parades started at 11 a.m. in Condon and 2 p.m. in Seeley.

Hours before the start time, camping chairs lined Highway 83 in Seeley for at least a mile and a half. People were saving their seats while enjoying the pancake breakfast at the fire department or grabbing an ice cream.

All of the Fourth of July festivities in Seeley were put together by a group of volunteers, spearheaded by Tom Browder, treasurer of Seeley Lake's Community Council. He did all of this while undergoing a stem cell transplant and cancer treatment.

"I think it helped that I could get the weekly meetings, get the permits, even though I'm in a hospital bed in Seattle," Browder said.

This is the second year this group of volunteers put the festivities together, and both years were sponsored by the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitors Center. The old Chamber of Commerce used to put everything on until it dissolved four years ago. A new chamber officially filed its status in March of this year.

Melanie Blank, secretary of the new Chamber of Commerce, said the volunteer group got close to its fundraising goal to pay for fireworks - this year performed by Kelly Darrow of Seeley Lake - parade permitting and band costs - Joan Zen, this year's band, killed it at Lindy's Steakhouse, she said - among other things, and may have slightly exceeded it. Blank said the community's support for the festivities was remarkable.

"Overall the community just showed up," Blank said.

Blank said the new chamber's next order of business is brainstorming ways to add additional events during Seeley's shoulder season. Blank said the chamber could use some volunteers, and anyone interested can contact the chamber at seeleyswanchamber@gmail.com.

After the parade in Condon, a hot dog and hamburger lunch was held near the community center and various fundraisers were happening for local groups, like the Upper Swan Valley Historical Society and the Swan Valley Community Library.

Later in the day were the O-Mok-See events, a tradition that includes six rodeo races - pole bending, speed barrels, regular barrels, polo turn, a partner race and a flag race - scored in four age groups. First place holders in each age group got the most points totaled from all the events.

Parker Auchenbach won the seven and under; Maya Davey won the eight to 11; Mia Schlabach won the 12 to 15; and Lillian Boyd won the adult category.

The all around trophy, given to the participant who scored the most points in each event regardless of age, was Maya Davey, who now gets the traveling trophy until next year.