In 1894 a group of Whittier’s first residents gathered at the home of Judge and Mrs. Samuel Owens to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Enjoying spending time amongst friends, sharing memories of the early days, one of them suggested that they should do this on a regular basis. So they formed a committee to plan an annual event to celebrate the founding, development, and progress of Whittier. They settled on having a picnic every year on May 11th, to commemorate the date Jonathan and Rebecca became the first residents of Whittier.
The first picnic took places in May of 1894 and included a free dinner for all those over 60 years old. Speakers highlighted the recent progresses in the city, and the Whittier State School band led a march of several school children around the park.
The event became to be known as “Founders Day” and has been celebrated almost every year since.
I paid a visit to the 2023 celebration and had a blast interviewing the people who helped make the event a success.
References:
“Historic Whittier – The History of Founders Day” by the City of Whittier YouTube Channel. April 10, 2014.