By Pauline Masson –
On March 17, 1871 Pacific’s Irish families marched in the first local St.Patrick’s Day Parade, but it wasn’t in Pacific.
Parade lovers have enjoyed a St.Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Pacific for the past ten years. This modern “Irish for a Day” celebration is reminiscent of a 160-year old St. Patrick’s Day Parade that included the Franklin (Pacific) band, dignitaries and school children.
The earliest recorded Irish families to land in the Pacific area were the McNamees who settled on LaBarque Creek south of the little farm hamlet of Franklin (now Pacific) in 1820s.
Other Irish families, the Daileys, Brennans, Lynchs and Mangans followed, eventually giving the lush green LaBarque hills and valleys the name Little Ireland.
The second members of the McNamee clan to arrive, George and Sarah Traynor McNamee, deeded land for a school – which took the family name – and sent their sons and daughters (and grandsons and granddaughters) to the Missouri Normal School that prepared and certified them as teachers.
The staunch Catholic community had the choice to celebrate Mass at four Catholic Churches the 1800s: St. Columbkille in Byrnesville, St. Bridget in Pacific, St. Michael’s Chapel at Josephville, and St. Patrick’s of Armagh original log church and after 1866 at the Rock Church in Catawissa.
On March 12, 1871, The St. Patrick’s Benevolent Society set aside the princely sum of $34 to fund a day of celebration in honor of Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick.
The celebration was to take place at the school house on the George McNamee farm. George’s sons Michael and Hugh McNamee were appointed to select a third committee member to plan the celebration.
The late Joseph McNamee recorded the momentous event in a handwritten essay titled “The First St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” that his granddaughter Sarah McNamee Faszold found among his papers.
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“If we remember correctly,” Mr. McNamee wrote, “there were four members of the band, two who played the brass instruments, one who played the bass drum and one who probably played the snare drum.
“The band took the lead and the flag and banner bearers, then the members of the society two by two fell into line.
“When the band struck up Stephen Foster’s “Carry Me Back to Ole Virginia,” away they marched down the narrow wagon road which was lined on each side with giant oak trees. The road extended in an east-west direction from the new school house to the site of the Burned Schoolhouse, about one-half mile distant.
“After marching down the road for about two-hundred yards the sergeant-at-arms gave the signal to the band to whirl about so the procession following, obeying orders, turned and marched back to the starting point.
“Repeating this activity two or three times, during which Michael McNamee, an expert on the flute, and Owen McNamee on the fife, rested the band by playing the melodies, “The Wearing of the Green” and “St. Patrick’s Day,” the men in line were given the signal to disband they did so willingly.”
He concluded that a grand community picnic followed.
“We cannot remember participating in the banquet, but we can imagine there were plenty of Irish wit, humor, and repartee bandied back and forward across the table.
“After satisfying the inner man with the palatable viands spread before them, the members of the organization and the invited guests departed for their respective homes as the sun was sinking behind the high hill west of the schoolhouse.
“There is no doubt that all present on the occasion enjoyed the day to the fullest extent and that the activities carried out on that particular St. Patrick’s Day, remained a green spot in the memory of each for many years afterwards.”
It was one of the first community meetings in the school district. It furnished a precedent for others, which were held in the schoolhouse later on.
Modern day Parades
Alderman Carol Johnson and Larry Mueller co-chaired the modern St. Patrick’s Day parades from 2013-2019. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Pacific Downtown Merchants Association organized the first modern day St. Patrick’s Parades on Saturday, March 17, 2013. Alderman Carol Johnson and merchant Larry Mueller co-chaired the event.
Downtown Merchants would organized the annual parade every March until 2019, with the exception of 2016 when the parade was cancelled as the downtown recovered from the flood of that year.
Irish luminary Dan McClain was selected as the first grand marshal.
“When selecting grand marshals, we tried to utilize the heritage of town,” Carol Johnson said. “And no one was denied entry in the parade.”
Billy Murphy was the grand marshal in 2014. Danny McNamee, grandson of the First St. Patrick’s Day essay author Joseph McNamee led the parade in 2015. Eighteen members of the McNamee clan donned green tee shirts and joined the parade.
Beginning in 2015, the City Tourism Commission budget tourism taxes to help promote the popular parade.
There was no parade in 2016, due to downtown flood recovery, but the annual march was revived in 2017, when the Tri-County Senior Center agreed to co-sponsor the parade and cooked up corned beef and cabbage for parade crowds.
In following years Bill Divine, and Maria Brennan (also a descendant of the McNamee clan) rode in open convertibles and waved to the parade crowds.
Judges were ensconced on the landing in front of the Royal Theater, to observe the parade and name the best float.
In 2017, a second crowd gathered in Pacific Station Plaza where the parade ended and eight T-shirt, trinket and food booths were set up. A DJ played Irish tunes.
At about 10:30 a.m., 30 minutes before parade time, a bit of bedlam broke loose as a herd of goats got loose on the Plaza grounds and ran in all directions to get away from children running with them.
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In 2020, the Pacific Partnership agreed to include the annual St. Patrick’s Parade in its downtown promotion campaign and has organized the parade since then. This year’s parade is scheduled for Saturday, Mar. 15. Don’t miss it.
This was an amazing story. My father was James Owen McNamee brother to Danny McNamee.
There was a st patricks day parade in 2012 in Pacific.
My 100 year old mother in law, Helen Quennoz, was the grand Marshall. So.the parade started before 2013.
Also there was no covid in 2016 to cancel the parade.
Inez,
Do you now who sponsored the 2012 parade. I researched old news stories and people’s memories. I haven’t found a reliable list of past events. I’ll go back and correct this if I can track it down. Also I think the 2016 St. Patrick’s Parade was cancelled due to downtown flood recovery. thank’s so much for your comments.