A blanket of snow covers rooftops and trees. Garland is strung around every lightpost. And layers upon layers of twinkling lights are everywhere.
This year, the city of Jamestown is well-dressed for the holiday season. Though the arrangement of decorations is tailored annually - exchanging old bulbs for new ones, or trading fresh pine for the allure of plastic - the spirit of the season has remained constant. Joyce Shelgren commented 20 years ago in The Post-Journal about "the ways in which Jamestown celebrates the love and joy of Christmas," and she observed that "traditions make it special."
VICTORIAN TRADITIONS
In the first documentation of local festivities of the 1800s, it began at the pulpit and the hearth.
"The churches of nearly all denominations show due recognition of the event which the day celebrates," reported The Journal on Dec. 26, 1882, and it added "the home circle is made bright by family reunions, Christmas trees and the interchange of presents."
Children of the Protestant denomination Sunday Schools were given gifts such as candy, oranges and nuts during special services held on Sunday, which was Christmas Eve that year. The Swedish Lutheran Church also celebrated with gift giving among church members, and it reported "several ministers from abroad were present."
During the season of Advent, Ss. Peter and Paul Church began a Catholic Fair in 1866. The fundraiser became an annual tradition, featuring needlework and candy for sale, and admission was charged for musical performances.
New traditions were added to the old. After the turn of the century, an article in the Journal showcased "How the various nationalities in Jamestown observe Christmas."
The article credits the Swedes with putting candles in their windows - with thousands lit all throughout the city. However, forgotten in the popular story of Jamestown are the contingent of Englishmen and women who began their residence working in the textile mills.
"Holly, which was introduced into America by the English, is much in evidence in their homes and the American native turkey, which has never been known to quarrel with a good English plum pudding, will be seen on every English table," stated the Journal.
A traditional English feature also poured into the streets each year, as carolers ventured outside in the late hours on Christmas Eve. In some years it was an all-night occasion:
"A group of young Englishmen, employees in the worsted mills, started out at 12:10 o'clock ... serenading their friends with Christmas carols and with glees. They were hospitably entertained at nearly every one of the forty places where they called ... They completed their rounds at 9 o'clock in the morning."
The Journal noted the city's Albanian immigrants adhere to Gregorian calendar, and their Orthodox celebration of the nativity would take place two weeks after the rest of the city. But the youngest generation was not free of assimilation, since it hinted "the Albanian children have their ideas of Kris Kringle, not unlike that of the American."
TREES AND TOYS
In 1913, the Jamestown Choral Society performed Handel's complete Messiah at the State Armory building. It was organized by the Jamestown Chapter, National Society DAR, and the admission of one dollar went toward the Soldiers' Monument Fund.
A review stated: "We hope that hereafter, our city will take rank with others in which a musical performance of The Messiah shall be justly looked upon as at least part of the Christmas festivities."
On the other end of town, the WCA Hospital held a Christmas Eve party, in which the students of the nursing school performed music and dance for 25 members of the staff. In addition, a large tree Christmas tree was decorated with gifts and candles.
The next year, the city erected its first municipal Christmas tree in Brooklyn Square - initiating a tradition that would evolve into the cornerstone of Jamestown's Christmas celebration today.
A recollection from 1918 was published by "Jimmy Towne," the pen name of a longtime Jamestown resident, who shared his childhood wonderment as the Christmas season saturated the downtown. A selection of businesses gave advance notice of what delights might find their way under the family Christmas tree.
He recalled Hanson's Electric Supply Store on the east side of Main Street, which converted its storefront windows into a dazzling display of electric locomotives. Clark's Drug Store, at the corner of Third Street, had its basement shelves stocked with more trains, dolls and board games. But Mr. Towne said the highlight was a few doors down.
"Jimmy proceeded west on Third Street, past the Mozart and Bijou movie theaters, crossed Cherry Street, and passed in front of the high-spired Presbyterian Church. He arrived at the street-level side entrance to Abrahamson-Bigelow's many-storied department store., where he entered the foyer and waited his turn to board the caged elevator that would take him to the fourth floor - Toyland."
There were toys of all kinds, stated Mr. Towne: a pogo stick, bass drum, and a small tin metal dog that leapt from its doghouse by means of a coiled spring. Possibly the most amazing item was a wireless radio - its copper wire and galena crystal visible in its rudimentary case.
The downtown Retail Merchants Association carried on the Brooklyn Square tree-lighting tradition until the final years of the Lost Neighborhood. In 1971 the tree was lit as early as Nov. 24 to kick off the holiday season. During the next decade the showcase shifted to Third Street, where the municipal tree was restored at City Hall.
The city's annual Holiday Open House confined the start of Christmastime to the first weekend of December. While Santa Claus made an appearance and children were given hayrides, the Journal reports the tradition of an official holiday parade was launched in 1998.
For a glimpse of past Christmas revelry, The Fenton History Center showcased a "Tradition of Trees" beginning in 1979, and it has become a tradition in and of itself. In its early years, the Journal advertised trees from every corner of Jamestown history, including and elegantly decorated Victorian style, Swedish pioneer, German Farmer and a "homespun tree," adorned with homemade ornaments and garland made of cranberries and popcorn.
Even in its early years, the young community was proud of the quality of its holiday spirit.
As stated in the Journal in 1882: "It may well be doubted whether any other town in the country in proportion to its size, celebrates so extensively the Christmas festival as the enterprising village of Jamestown."
