Discover History: When an Entire Town Donned Its Santa Suit
This article originally appeared in the Holiday 2019 edition of Discover Lansdale Magazine.
By Dick Shearer, President, Lansdale Historical Society
Lansdale once had a reputation as a rough and tumble place where grit, drive and determination were traits that many residents wore as badges of honor. But there was another softer side that often gets overlooked.
As the village grew into a town, it truly became a community of people who cared about one another no matter their station in life. Perhaps it is because so many of them arrived here without great riches or personal fame, and they had experienced first-hand hardship and challenges along the way. It seemed natural that they would step in to help when they saw others in need.
These “helping hands” seldom sought acknowledgment for their good deeds. Nevertheless, their efforts sometimes made news because so many citizens got into the act. To illustrate this as we enter the 2019 season of giving, let’s look back to the holidays of 1922, a time of peace and prosperity for most – but not all – of Lansdale’s citizenry. They were not forgotten.
The Republican-Review, one of two newspapers in town at the time, solicited letters to Santa Claus from the kids in the community. Many papers did this every year, but the Republican-Review paid special attention to what the children asked for as Christmas gifts.
The vast majority made a pitch for toys and such, but there were some who requested the bare essentials – a pair of warm gloves, a ham or turkey for holiday dinner, a teddy bear for a younger sibling. While adults often do a good job of covering up their family’s needs, kids, as we know, can be brutally honest.
Relying on what Santa letters revealed in previous years, the newspaper urged the community to assure that everyone in Lansdale would have a bountiful Christmas in 1922. It took a coordinated effort on the part of civic clubs, the newly formed American Legion post, churches, merchants, factory workers, scout troops and generous individuals to achieve this goal.
After discreet detective work was done and the needy were identified, the various groups converged on the Legion Post to assemble “Good Will Baskets” – the Republican-Review stated that “Lansdale doesn’t like the term ‘Charity Baskets’.”
What was in these baskets? Forty-some years later, an old-timer who participated in the 1922 campaign stopped by The Reporter newsroom and talked about how the volunteers back then tried to cater each overflowing basket to meet the specific needs of each family. As one example, he said that when clothing was given, local manufacturers made sure to donate the correct sizes so the goods could be worn on Christmas Day without a need for alterations.
We don’t know exactly when the baskets were distributed to the needy families or who delivered them. Apparently, Santa invoked the Fifth Amendment when asked. But just to make sure no one was missed, the kids of Lansdale were told to gather in front of the Hotel Tremont at 10:30 on Christmas morning to thank Santa for the gifts they received. If a child asked Santa why nothing was left for him or her, elves were standing by to correct the mistake.
As it turned out, the volunteers prepared more baskets than were actually needed (good news, the organizers said), so the surplus was distributed to needy families in the surrounding townships.
Also, the sick and elderly were not forgotten. Flowers were delivered to them courtesy of the local florists.
If the true meaning of the holiday season is giving and sharing, the townspeople of Lansdale clearly understood that in 1922. In various ways, the tradition has been carried forward ever since. We assume 2019 will be no different.
EPILOGUE: Here’s one tradition that fortunately hasn’t endured. In 1922, residents of Lansdale – 75-strong – walked the streets of Lansdale singing Christmas carols between midnight and 4 a.m. The first two hours were spent on street corners east of the railroad, the last two on the west side.
Oh, that’s not all. According to the Republican-Review:
“G. Howard Freed accompanied the crowd by automobile, with an organ placed in the back seat of the car. The music of this instrument, and of Harry Heckler’s violin, added greatly to the beauty of the carols.”
So much for Silent Night.
By Dick Shearer, President, Lansdale Historical Society
Lansdale once had a reputation as a rough and tumble place where grit, drive and determination were traits that many residents wore as badges of honor. But there was another softer side that often gets overlooked.
As the village grew into a town, it truly became a community of people who cared about one another no matter their station in life. Perhaps it is because so many of them arrived here without great riches or personal fame, and they had experienced first-hand hardship and challenges along the way. It seemed natural that they would step in to help when they saw others in need.
These “helping hands” seldom sought acknowledgment for their good deeds. Nevertheless, their efforts sometimes made news because so many citizens got into the act. To illustrate this as we enter the 2019 season of giving, let’s look back to the holidays of 1922, a time of peace and prosperity for most – but not all – of Lansdale’s citizenry. They were not forgotten.
The Republican-Review, one of two newspapers in town at the time, solicited letters to Santa Claus from the kids in the community. Many papers did this every year, but the Republican-Review paid special attention to what the children asked for as Christmas gifts.
The vast majority made a pitch for toys and such, but there were some who requested the bare essentials – a pair of warm gloves, a ham or turkey for holiday dinner, a teddy bear for a younger sibling. While adults often do a good job of covering up their family’s needs, kids, as we know, can be brutally honest.
Relying on what Santa letters revealed in previous years, the newspaper urged the community to assure that everyone in Lansdale would have a bountiful Christmas in 1922. It took a coordinated effort on the part of civic clubs, the newly formed American Legion post, churches, merchants, factory workers, scout troops and generous individuals to achieve this goal.
After discreet detective work was done and the needy were identified, the various groups converged on the Legion Post to assemble “Good Will Baskets” – the Republican-Review stated that “Lansdale doesn’t like the term ‘Charity Baskets’.”
What was in these baskets? Forty-some years later, an old-timer who participated in the 1922 campaign stopped by The Reporter newsroom and talked about how the volunteers back then tried to cater each overflowing basket to meet the specific needs of each family. As one example, he said that when clothing was given, local manufacturers made sure to donate the correct sizes so the goods could be worn on Christmas Day without a need for alterations.
We don’t know exactly when the baskets were distributed to the needy families or who delivered them. Apparently, Santa invoked the Fifth Amendment when asked. But just to make sure no one was missed, the kids of Lansdale were told to gather in front of the Hotel Tremont at 10:30 on Christmas morning to thank Santa for the gifts they received. If a child asked Santa why nothing was left for him or her, elves were standing by to correct the mistake.
As it turned out, the volunteers prepared more baskets than were actually needed (good news, the organizers said), so the surplus was distributed to needy families in the surrounding townships.
Also, the sick and elderly were not forgotten. Flowers were delivered to them courtesy of the local florists.
If the true meaning of the holiday season is giving and sharing, the townspeople of Lansdale clearly understood that in 1922. In various ways, the tradition has been carried forward ever since. We assume 2019 will be no different.
EPILOGUE: Here’s one tradition that fortunately hasn’t endured. In 1922, residents of Lansdale – 75-strong – walked the streets of Lansdale singing Christmas carols between midnight and 4 a.m. The first two hours were spent on street corners east of the railroad, the last two on the west side.
Oh, that’s not all. According to the Republican-Review:
“G. Howard Freed accompanied the crowd by automobile, with an organ placed in the back seat of the car. The music of this instrument, and of Harry Heckler’s violin, added greatly to the beauty of the carols.”
So much for Silent Night.
