The Freedom Bell, on the campus square, was declared the official Freedom Bell of Illinois by the state legislature in 1971 and is rung every July 4th at 2 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), simultaneously with “ringing” (actually, gently tapping) the famous Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.
Sandy Sandstrom Starts the Bell Ringing in 1963
Clarence “Sandy” Sandstrom was the 1963 Chairman of the 4th of July Publicity Committee when he read an article by Eric Hatch and Eric Sloan in “The Week Magazine” about bell ringing. They proposed a national simultaneous ringing of bells at 2:00 p.m. ET on July 4th to remind Americans everywhere to pause and remember our hard-fought battle for independence. The article stated that bell ringing was a pre-civil war custom they wanted to revive.
Sandy thought it was an excellent idea and convinced the Mt. Morris 4th of July Committee to adopt the idea.
“The purpose was simply to remind you and me, all Americans, of our precious heritage of freedom,” explained Sandy.
It was a statement he would repeat many times as he promoted the idea of bell ringing in the U.S. and worldwide. He also suggested the annual Mt. Morris 4th of July Festival be renamed “Let Freedom Ring.”
The First Bell
The committee found a small bell, 16 inches in diameter, for $75, and the local VFW Club donated the funds. The bell was mounted on a cedar post and placed behind the Veterans Memorial Fountain at the northeast corner of the Village campus. The Memorial Fountain was built in 1926 by the local American Legion Post with stones from across the nation and around the world.
A dedication was planned for April 30, 1963, and Sandy, hearing that actor Ronald Reagan would be in nearby Dixon, Illinois, his hometown, arranged to have Reagan join the other dignitaries in the dedication ceremony. Reagan was among the first bell ringers, when he and other guests at the dedication pulled the bell cord and rang the little Freedom Bell. Reagan borrowed an overcoat from Charles Finch on that cold April day, and that coat was later donated to the Mt. Morris Museum.
A National Resolution is Born
“Whereas the tolling of the Liberty Bell of Independence Hall, Philadelphia at 2:00 O’clock in the afternoon of the fourth day of July, 1776, proclaimed the signing of the Declaration of Independence; and whereas the adoption of this historic document marked the birth of our country as a free and independent nation; and whereas it is fitting that the anniversary of this great event should be observed in each year at the same moment throughout the United States: now, therefore, be it resolved, that the Congress hereby (1) declares that the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence should be observed each year by the ringing of bells throughout the United States at the hour of 2 o’clock, eastern daylight time, in the afternoon of the fourth day of July, or at such other time in the afternoon as may be determined by local authority, and (2) calls upon civic and other leaders to take steps to encourage public participation in such observance.”
On July 4th, 1963, after much promoting by Sandy, 20 states participated by ringing bells 13 times at 2:00 p.m. ET, in unison with the Liberty Bell of Independence Hall, Philadelphia and the Freedom Bell in Mt. Morris.
Mt. Morris Freedom Bell is Heard Across the Nation
The next year, 1964, Sandy arranged to broadcast the sound of the little Freedom Bell over the loudspeakers in the Illinois Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair. Soon the bell made bell ringing on July 4th a tradition, with more states and cities recognizing and participating in the event, all ringing 13 times in honor of the 13 colonies and 13 stars and stripes in the first flag, Old Glory.
In 1965, William Wrigley, then owner of the Chicago Cubs, agreed to broadcast the sound of Mt. Morris’ little Freedom Bell over the sound system at Wrigley Field before the baseball game on July 4th. When Sandy went to Chicago to arrange the event, he was introduced to Jack Brickhouse, the voice of the Cubs on WGN television. Brickhouse arranged for the bell ringing to be heard over WGN, allowing millions of people to be involved.
In 1966, with bell ringing firmly established, the Mt. Morris July 4th Let Freedom Ring Committee thought the Village should have a larger bell. The committee found a bell that was over 100 years old and had been at the bottom of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It had fallen through the ice while being moved across the lake and was recovered 40 years later. The Committee purchased the large bell from a farmer in Johnsburg, Illinois for $500.
Local Talent Makes It Happen
The tower for the second bell was designed by Mt. Morris resident and graphic designer Eric Mann, and the tower itself was erected by Village volunteers Marv Miller, “Babe” Tracy, and Gene McGee. The yoke was made by Howard Fox, Sinnissippi Forest, from slippery elm, the same material from which the yoke of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is made, also of the same dimensions.
The large bell was sand blasted by E. D. Etnyre & Company in nearby Oregon to clean it. Eric Hatch and Eric Slone, who wrote the article that first inspired Sandy Sandstrom, were invited to Mt. Morris on July 4th, 1966, to dedicate the new large bell.
The Freedom Bell stands on the historic college campus square in downtown Mt. Morris on South Wesley Avenue, next to the Warren G. Reckmeyer Bandshell.
The Official Freedom Bell of Illinois
Sandy was tireless in his efforts to promote the Mt. Morris Freedom Bell. In the fall of 1971, the large Freedom Bell was proclaimed the official Freedom Bell for the state of Illinois by an act of the Illinois legislature.
On July 4th, 1972, Governor Richard Ogilvie was the speaker for the bell ringing ceremony. He presented the Village with a state flag and a bronze plaque for the Freedom Bell site. The plaque contained the following inscription:
“On this, the occasion of the first official ringing of the Freedom Bell at Mt. Morris, let this message be heard by all Americans: Let us be one nation dedicated as never before to the realization of the promise of freedom for all.”
-Richard B. Ogilvie, Governor of Illinois
The following year, Sandy arranged to have the Mt. Morris bell ringing ceremony connected by phone with the ceremony at the Independence Hall in Philadelphia. By phone, the Mt. Morris celebrants listened to the ringing of a special bell in Philadelphia. On the 13th strike, the Mt. Morris bell was rung. This tradition continued for 15 years.
Special Bicentennial Celebration
In 1976, special activities were planned for the Bicentennial Celebration. The Mt. Morris Freedom Bell rang on July 3rd to help commemorate the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty and the relighting of the Statue of Liberty torch. President Reagan called for bells to ring nationwide when he re-lit the torch at 9:53 p.m. ET.
In a special proclamation designating July 3rd “Let Freedom Ring Day” President Reagan said, “What could be more fitting than to celebrate this moment with the joyful clamor of bells in every city, village and hamlet throughout our land; let every American take it as a summons to re-dedication to liberty.”
The Tradition Continues
At Sandy’s suggestion, the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration made bell ringing official for the 1976-1986 events. The American Bicentennial of the Constitution also made the ringing of bells official for that celebration in 1987. The Mt. Morris Freedom Bell was rung 52 times in 1980 during the crisis in Iran, once for each hostage. In 1984 the Mt. Morris Freedom Bell was rung on the television show, “Good Morning America.”
Mr. Fourth of July
Sandy was a generous philanthropist, had a gregarious, outgoing personality, and was seldom seen without a cigar. As the bell ringing idea grew in popularity, and bell ringing became a national event on July 4th, Sandy became well known as “Mr. Fourth of July.” He received commendations and awards from several patriotic organizations, several presidents and every state legislature in the union. He was a guest in the White House in 1984, and was featured in the July 7th, 1986, issue of “People Magazine.”
Although Sandy died in 1992, his devotion to patriotism lives on in our annual Let Freedom Ring festival, and the Freedom Bell of Illinois. A plaque on the base of the bell honors him with this inscription:
““Through the ringing of bells on the fourth of July, Sandy reminded Americans everywhere of their precious heritage of freedom…”
As Sandy often said, “Remember, if you will, that it all started at the Memorial Fountain in Mt. Morris, Illinois.”