Saturday’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is special, something that’s truly historic.

It calls for looking back on all that our country has accomplished. It went from being an experiment in democracy to a coast to coast nation and then a world leader.

I’m fortunate to be old enough to remember the Bicentennial in 1976. I recall all the television spots and the memorabilia that went with the occasion. The United States was a very different country 50 years ago, and Marshall was different as a community.

Nationally, it was a challenging time because of the fall of South Vietnam in 1975 and the Watergate political scandal that led to President Nixon’s resignation in 1974.

The two situations combined to instill a fundamental distrust in government, a distrust that’s continued for a half century.

Nearly all of our presidents have been outsiders. Four were governors. One was a community organizer in Chicago. One is a wealthy businessman. Only two, George H.W. Bush and Joe Biden, had extensive national political resumes. They both served only one term.

The Bicentennial was a real unifying factor, an occasion to make it clear that we still believed in the United States. I saw evidence of national pride as a child and felt that we’d overcome the challenges.

People can make a case either way as to whether the United States is better off in 2026. Some would say we definitely are because of improved health care, better technology, and more extensive services for families and older adults.

Others who have doubts could point to the growing gap in wealth, the disappearance of small farms and many small businesses, skyrocketing home prices, the high cost of living, technology which for many is a complicated burden, and ongoing race relations issues.

I can see it both ways. I’m far more certain when it comes to Marshall. The city and surrounding area are better off in many ways than we were 50 years ago. Many of our dreams have come true.

Marshall had growing pains in 1976. We were at a crossroads. The exuberance of the 1960s, with the growth of Schwan Sales Enterprises and the founding of Southwest Minnesota State College was replaced with concern for the future.

Schwan’s was still coming back from a destructive 1974 fire that cast some doubt on whether the company would stay in town. By 1976 much of the doubt had disappeared. Owner Marvin Schwan proved his commitment.

Meanwhile our college was suffering an unexpected enrollment decline. It led skeptics to question whether the College in a Cornfield would ever figuratively speaking have “ivy on the walls”.

New SSU President Jon Wefald impressed people as he launched his tenure, but it remained to be seen whether the original promise of the 1960s would be fulfilled.

Nobody doubts SMSU in 2026. It thrived in the 1980s and 1990s, a time when Marshall’s industrial sector thrived with Schwan’s, Minnesota Corn Processors and other large employers. Both SMSU and Marshall continue to thrive even with the 21st century sales of Schwan’s and MCP.

Marshall has always had depth. It’s never risen or fallen solely on the strength of one or two employers. Instead we’ve maintained our place as a regional leader in education, health care, industry, retail business and public services.

We now have a bypass highway that’s no longer a bypass since the city has expanded to the south. The number of public parks and trails in Marshall has vastly increased. Apartment buildings continue to go up throughout much of the city. We see a steady number of new homes.

We’ve built three new public schools (Park Side, the high school and Southview) since 1976. Marshall has a better public library, a better county museum, an Adult Community Center for senior citizens, the Marshall Area YMCA, the Red Baron Arena and a new aquatic center.

I’ll more than likely not be around for the United States Tricentennial in 2076 (I’d have to live to be 109). My hope is that the community will be able to celebrate an equal or greater amount of local progress than what we’ve seen in the past 50 years.

All the pieces are in place. We have the ability to respond to good opportunities as they come up. With a recently updated city comprehensive plan, we can set goals for what we’d like to see in Marshall, for new features that would add revenue and enhance our quality of life.

As long as I live I’ll be interested in what could be next. My best guess is that we’re about halfway up a proverbial mountain.

We’re far enough to look back and see that we’ve come a long way, as we will on Saturday’s 250th anniversary. I don’t think we’ve reached a summit yet, so we can’t stand still. As we take pride in what we’ve done, we should keep climbing and do more. It’s important to keep making things happen.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and contributor to the Marshall Independent