Hub City Times

Top Menu

  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

Main Menu

  • Home
  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
    • Police / Sheriff Calls
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
  • Military Photos
  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

logo

Hub City Times

  • Home
  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
    • Police / Sheriff Calls
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
  • Military Photos
History
Home›History›Marshfield, December 1915: A Christmas tradition is born

Marshfield, December 1915: A Christmas tradition is born

By Hub City Times
January 2, 2017
622
0
Share:

By Kris Leonhardt

Editor

Leonhardt

Preparation for the 1915 holiday season required great effort. Electricity was still a novelty, and iceboxes loaded with seasonal fare needed frequent attention. Women stood by their coal or wood cook stoves boiling sugar and corn syrup to create hard candy and fashioned sugar, corn syrup, and popcorn into round balls.

As tension rose overseas, local clubs worked to draw the population together in brotherhood while changing the focus from the turmoil created by war to the comfort and security of community. Members of the Eagles Club erected a large Christmas tree in the center of Marshfield’s main street near the Blodgett Hotel.

As Christmas Eve approached, the weather turned bitterly cold. Undeterred by the cold temperatures, thousands assembled on Central Avenue at 5:30 p.m. that holiday evening.

The Second Regiment Band led the Christmas program, followed by a song from a local choir.

Marcus Hansen addressed the throng of Marshfield residents, thanking both the Eagles Club and the community for preparing the evening’s events. Hansen encouraged Marshfield residents to promote more community interests and gatherings as a means to foster brotherhood within the city.

Charles Duval followed with a rendition of “Silent Night,” which was followed by the crowd singing “America.”

As the program went on, children anxiously waited for the appearance of the evening’s star. The anticipation slowly turned to impatience as the children grew cold in the darkening evening.

Not a minute too soon, Santa appeared with three helpers to the delight of the exasperated boys and girls in the crowd.

The jolly man and his assistants spent the next hour and 15 minutes handing out gifts to an estimated 2,000 children that had packed onto crowded street.

As the children lit up with excitement, residents were filled with the comfort of the community that surrounded them.

The fellowship and exhilaration of the evening triggered a pledge from organizers and the community to display a Christmas tree in the city every year from that point forward.

TagsCharles DuvalChristmasChristmas treeEagles ClubFeaturedhistoryMarcus Hansenmarshfield history
Previous Article

Featured MAPS pet of the week: Nadia

Next Article

Spencer business park welcomes new projects

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • HealthLocal

    Ministry responds to Clinic’s statements about partnering on a hospital

    September 9, 2015
    By Hub City Times
  • hub city times logo
    Local

    Kiwanis Enormous Equipment Playground rumbles to the fairgrounds this October

    September 28, 2015
    By Hub City Times
  • Photo GallerySports

    Photos From Marshfield Motor Speedway

    September 16, 2014
    By Hub City Times
  • Front row: Beverly (Sersch) Welch, Marsha (Pederson) Sweeney, Janice (Peterson) Knutson, Joyce (Wickersham) Deichsel, Emmy (Millard) Hein, Joanne (Schmidt) Melander, Delores (Vandeberg) Hudak, Audrey (Stuebs) Moen, Carol (Smith) Klumb, Lucille (Wilke) Jensen. Second row: Earl Giese, Audrey (Krueger) Wickersham, Don Oelke, George Siemers, Don Deichsel, Roger Kohlbeck, Karlene (TerHaar) Beyer, Richard Fulwiler, Donna (Kopp) Franke, Joyce (Ehrike) Riedel, Marilyn (Federwitz) Burger, Beverly (Hirsch) Jurgensen, Mike Peterson. Back row: Marilyn (Kruse) Wagner, Richard Wolf, Bryl Dahl, Marvin Weber, Richard Halle, Victor Klumb, Steve Hopkins, Norman Snortheim, Roger Heeg, Lyle Steffen, Ken Thorson.
    Local

    MHS Class of 1956 celebrates 60-year reunion

    July 24, 2016
    By Hub City Times
  • EducationFeaturedHistory

    Marshfield, February 1903: The many incarnations of Grant Elementary School

    February 7, 2015
    By Hub City Times
  • Arts & Entertainment

    The art of Sandy Larsen on display at LTCA

    February 23, 2018
    By Hub City Times

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

About Us


Hub City Times is published by Multi Media Channels LLC, N2919 County Road QQ Waupaca, WI 54981.

Timeline

  • January 24, 2021

    Are snow days now a thing of the past in Marshfield?

  • January 23, 2021

    MACCI turns 75: Part III Changing names

  • January 21, 2021

    DNR confirms CWD in Wood County, renews baiting and feeding bans

  • January 20, 2021

    City seeks candidates for ethics board

  • January 19, 2021

    Marshfield Clinic scheduling COVID vaccinations to those 65 and older

Find us on Facebook

Copyright © 2020 Multi Media Channels, All Rights Reserved. Designed by MMC Team Awesome
×