Good Sunday morning to you. Breakfast at Richie's Real American Diner is always a good bet, especially on this holiday weekend.

While it seems like a relatively new community, parades honoring America's Independence have been held, off and on, in Temecula for more than a century.

The history book "Images of America -- Temecula" published in 2006, pictures Joe Winkels leading the local celebration.

"Winkels is shown here riding a mule and draped with a flag during a Fourth of July parade," the photo's caption reads.

The picture was taken on Main Street with the Temecula Mercantile building in the background.

Winkels came to Temecula in 1902 and eventually ended up owning the Ramona Inn and running an illegal "Blind Pig" saloon in Old Town -- serving hooch even during Prohibition. He died in 1939 and is buried in the Temecula Public Cemetery.

The American flag Winkels is holding has 45 stars, the number stitched on the banner from July 4, 1896, until July 3, 1908, when Oklahoma was admitted to the Union and a 46th star was added. That means the holiday parade must have taken place between 1902 and 1908.

History doesn't reveal much about other early Independence Day celebrations in Temecula. Newspaper items printed in the day say little about parades, but do mention other "Fourth" fun.

July 13, 1917 -- Most of the town people spent the Fourth at Elsinore.

July 11, 1919 -- Nearly everybody went to Oceanside on the Fourth and on Saturday and Sunday they went again.

In the '70s and '80s, before cityhood, the Temecula Town Association had a hand in most Independence Day celebrations. In 1989, "more than 1,000 people lined Front and Moreno Streets" to watch the parade that ended with a barbecue and games at Sam Hicks Monument Park.

Some years the parade went south on Front Street, turned right on Main Street, and headed to the association's headquarters on Pujol Street. There, in addition to a cookout, contests such as Miss Bikini and Mr. Speedo (for small children) and "hairy chest" and "beard growing" competitions (usually for men) were held.

The Star-Spangled celebration most of you know began in 1993 when the city first hired a company to shoot fireworks off from a hill over the Rancho California (now Ronald Reagan) Sports Park.

The gates to the park that year opened at 4:30 p.m and, after dark, a 20-minute pyrotechnics extravaganza began, synchronized to music played over radio station KRTM 88.9 FM.

With the demise of the Town Association, the city produces the parade and the all-day sports park celebration filled with live music and family activities, which is capped off by a huge fireworks show.

It's doubtful saloon keeper Joe Winkels -- leading the parade more than 100 years ago on a mule with his 45-star flag -- could have possibly imagined the local Independence Day tradition he helped begin.

Call columnist John Hunneman at 951-676-4315, ext. 2603.