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Christmases Past
Written By: Mary Jane McCall | Issue: 2016/12 - December
Ho! Ho! Ho!
Just hearing those jolly three words brings peals of excitement from children everywhere. Here in Highlands, we’ve been blessed with Santas of almost legendary stature, from the current jolly Allan Dearth to the man whose name is synonymous with Santa, Buck Trott — men who have given freely of their time to help children believe in the miracles of Christmas.
In the late 50s, 60s and early 70s it was Paul Walden who made those dreams of seeing Santa come true. Seeing Santa was a big deal in those days because it was a long time from one December to the next and we weren’t bombarded with images of Santa beginning in October. By the time Christmas rolled around the edges of the Sears Wish Book were dog-eared and you couldn’t wait to see Santa and tell him what you wanted.
Parents could arrange with Paul in advance of Christmas Eve to have Santa visit their home so children would get a personal visit from the jolly old elf himself. To the delight of parents who had failed to make prior arrangements, he often stopped by homes where he knew there were small children and surprised them with a visit. Imagine that-Santa knew you by name and came just to hear your wishes!
I well remember those Christmas Eves when darkness would fall, and I’d be practically exploding with anticipation. I was sure that every car that passed was Santa and when one stopped in the driveway, and I heard those footsteps approaching the door, it was almost too much excitement to bear. Paul always made his appointed rounds.
Local businesses also got into the spirit of things making it possible for children to visit with Santa and Anderson’s Five and Ten, on the hill, was Santa Central. The Andersons always included a visit from Santa during their holiday hours, and when his daughter and son-in-law, Jane and Alan Lewis, took over the store in 1957 they continued the tradition. Each year they would stay open late one night and children could visit with Santa Paul, families could do a little last minute shopping and enjoy moments of the season with their neighbors. They also arranged through Highlands School to have children in the first through third grades visit with Santa before Christmas — a short but memorable field trip for all. Children always left these visits with a bag of candy, an orange, and a smile on
their face.
