RI town boasts USA’s longest-running July 4th fest

By: Associated Press - Texarkana Gazette

Associated Press Kris Larson, left, and Peter Lopes attach an American flag to a soccer-themed Independence Day parade float Monday in Bristol, R.I. Bristol residents have marked July 4th every year since 1785, allowing the town to lay claim to the nation's oldest Independence Day celebration.

BRISTOL, R.I.—In July 1785, the citizens of this waterfront town assembled to heap praise on their newly minted nation and to thank God for helping them survive a fierce assault by the British during the Revolutionary War.

In July 1892, lawyer Orrin Bosworth preached that the townsfolk sh...

Published: 07/03/2009