A "Horribles" Parade
By Matthew Powers
In the mid to late nineteenth century, many communities like Woodstock, integrated a parade as part of the celebration on the Fourth of July. These parades were conducted mostly in the morning hours and were meant to be extremely satirical and humorous. Men and boys would wear wear masks and costumes designed to mock the attitudes of the self-important. Their aim was to make their subjects appear to be absurd, antiquated, and horrible.
“‘Antiques and Horribles’ parades emerged in the mid 19th century as a reaction to the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston’s solemn Independence Day parades. This company, a military organization limited to the social elite, provided a likely target for parody as a group of rich men playing soldier in highly impractical costumes. By the 1850s, uniforms favored by militia companies had become increasingly gaudy and embellished with ornamentation that bordered on the ridiculous. The resulting grandiose and varied display of uniforms lent itself to satire in the form of a folk custom known under several variations of the phase ‘Antique and Horribles.’”
Detail of the Horrible Parade at the St. James green.
The man in the foreground appears to be dressed as a soldier with an overly large sword and face.
July 4, 1876
A Horrible Parade being staged at the St. James Episcopal church green.
July 4, 1874
Woodstock Bakery float.
East side of the Green.
Detail of Woodstock Bakery float from a Horrible Parade.
Photo showing same location of Woodstock Bakery float.
The last newspaper article (that has been found to date) mentioning a Horribles Parade occurred in 1933. The community was “asked to join in making the horribles as horrible as possible”. There was a “Horribles committee” made up of two men, H.P. Clark and George Roy. It is unclear whether this tradition continued past this date.
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