Looking back at Labor Day in western Illinois

Hundreds of people were on the sidewalks, with kids scrambling from curbs for candy in Galesburg, which took a traditional approach, with a parade lasting about two hours to move down Main Street five blocks. However, the marching unionists and floats were preceded not only by a color guard and a virtual fleet of police and fire fighter vehicles, but six bagpipers and four drummers on the ground, and several biplanes repeatedly soaring overhead.

Area marching bands from Galesburg, Knoxville and ROWVA (with its fine version of “Here Comes the Sun”) were interspersed with the Lions Club, State Sen. Mike Halpin (D-36^th) and a host of union floats, trucks and marchers, including Plumbers and Plasterers, Letter Carriers and Teamsters, AFSCME and Iron Workers, Electrical Workers and Carpenters, plus Operators, Laborers and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees.

In Macomb, union members and supporters took another approach, holding a noon-time rally, which spilled over from Chandler Park to line the block, with dozens of demonstrators protesting President Trump. Below: Thomas and Lynnia Oatman of Lewistown drove to Macomb from Fulton County to lend their voices to a Labor Day rally.