Calvin will be celebrating their 125^th anniversary along with their annual 4^th of July festivities this year.

The town of Calvin was established in 1895, when the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway (C O & G) laid a line through the Choctaw Nation between McAlester (then in Indian Territory) and Oklahoma City (then in Oklahoma Territory). The community was initially called “Riverview” for its location on the south bank of the Canadian River. The Riverview

post office was established on March 21, 1895, with John Wilbur as postmaster. The town (and post office) name was changed to Calvin in June, 1895, to honor the Choctaw landowner, Calvin Perry.

This year’s Independence Day celebration will begin with the traditional parade at 10:00 am followed by the Turtle Races at the Methodist Church area. Throwback photos at main street will begin at noon and the “Kickin’ Grass Lawnmower Races” will start at 1:00 pm at The Peanut Plant. There will also be a 3-Legged Race and an Egg Toss.

At 3:00 there will be a watermelon eating contest at the Methodist Church, followed by the Cornhole Tournament at 4:00 at the Y Tavern. Face painting and numerous other fun activities throughout the day, courtesy of Alanna Lemp.

The ever-popular free barbecue dinner will begin at 6:00 pm at the baseball field followed by the CamAm give-away. The Ranch Rodeo, by Wes and Keri Brines, will begin at 6:30, the fireworks display is at “darkthirty”, and the day will end with the street dance brought to you by Rambin Brothers and Company at the Peanut Company.