“What a lot of people don’t know is that we’re
celebrating the incorporation,” said Connie Shumate of the Princeton
Public Library. “Because before there was a City of Princeton, there
was a village of Princeton as early as 1837. On Feb. 20, 1909, the city
was incorporated, and if you know the history of the area, you know
that the incorporation of the Virginian Railway and the city went
hand-in-hand.”
“What a lot of people don’t know is that we’re
celebrating the incorporation,” said Connie Shumate of the Princeton
Public Library. “Because before there was a City of Princeton, there
was a village of Princeton as early as 1837. On Feb. 20, 1909, the city
was incorporated, and if you know the history of the area, you know
that the incorporation of the Virginian Railway and the city went
hand-in-hand.”
Centennial celebrations get underway today when
the Princeton City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. at the Princeton
Municipal Building.
“Mr. William Sanders, a local attorney,
local historian and local author, will be at city council at the very
beginning of the meeting,” Shumate said. “We have 10 of his books on
the reference shelves at the library. His newest one is called, ‘Old
Town Princeton, Mercer County, W.Va.’ He really is an extraordinary
storyteller.”
Centennial celebrations continue Feb. 20 at noon
in the historic Mercer Street School. The public will be invited and
the school’s students will be there as well, Shumate said.
“We
want them to know about the history of their town,” she said. “We will
be serving birthday cake that day, and the birthday cake will be
decorated to look like the city seal, so we’re excited about that.”
One Princeton area child will be telling the public why he or she loves Princeton in 200 words or less.
“We’re
sponsoring a ‘Why I Love Princeton’ writing contest in honor of the
city’s centennial,” Shumate said. “The deadline is Feb. 16, and they
can submit their essays at the library. They need to include their
name, grade, name of school and phone number. There are three
categories: K-1, 2-3 and 4-5. There will be prizes in each category.
The grand prize winner will read their entry at the centennial
celebration Feb. 20. All prizes will have something to do with one
hundred.”
There are also plans to honor Princeton’s mayors during the Feb. 20 celebration at the school.
Soon most residents will know that Princeton has turned 100 years old.
“We’re
also having banners made to go across the Thorn Street Bridge. Those
will be up the week of the 20th and they will say ‘100 Years of
Progress, City of Princeton, with the city seal with the dates
1909-2009.”
Centennial plans for Feb. 20 include a free concert
at 7 p.m. at the Princeton Railroad Museum on Mercer Street. Local
entertainer Clinton Collins will perform, Shumate said.
“It’s a
free concert, but seating is limited, so we’re asking folks to come by
either the library or city hall to pick up their tickets,” she said.
“They will be available beginning Tuesday, Feb. 10.”
The
centennial celebrations won’t end on Feb. 20. Organizers plan to mark
the special anniversary every remaining month of 2009. In March, there
will be a display of young artists’ work at the library in conjunction
with the All Together Arts Week being organized by Create West Virginia.
Celebrations
are still be organized. For June, there are tentative plans to have the
U.S. Navy Band “Current Country” at the Chuck Mathena Center, Shumate
said.
“We will be asking for donations of canned food,” she added.
For
Christmas, centennial plans call for an official lighting of the
Christmas tree before the annual Princeton Christmas Parade. A
Centennial Easter Egg Hunt is planned for April.
“We’re going to
do this each and every month,” Shumate said of the centennial plans.
Almost every month of 2009 will have a moment for remembering the City
of Princeton’s 100th birthday.
By GREG JORDAN
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
