Christmas Tree Images..... Just For Fun

 

Christmas In Spokane In The 1880s

 Christmas in Spokane in the 1880s.

According to a column by Dorothy Powers in The Spokesman back in December 1983, “not many marks of Christmas seen around Spokane today were present (during) those first years Spokane celebrated Christmas.” There were no shimmering recycled aluminum trees, no ho-ho-hoing Santas in downtown stores and no carols pealing from downtown carillons and no bustling crowds, she added.

Spokane had one its first Christmas celebrations in 1874. “Notwithstanding the drawbacks of securing anything but the barest necessaries of life, it was resolved that winter to celebrate the holidays in the most elaborate manner at the command of the little community.”  And a good time was had by all despite “being in one of the most isolated regions in the West.”

“Spokane was but a frontier village way back in 1883. There were only a few excuses for stores with stocks limited to bare necessities. Buying gifts for youngsters in 1883 proved almost impossible. The very few stores had made no provision for Christmas and there was no trinket of any kind that would appeal to children.”

By 1878, there was a celebration drawing 25 guests in the Glover mansion “which was a five-room place, half logs and half boards. The weather was mild….we sang Christmas carols. Mrs. Glover played the organ and afterwards she served refreshments of cake, coffee and apples (which came from Oregon).”

In another Spokesman article, dated 27 Dec 1964, an article by Edith Boyd appeared. She had come to Spokane in 1884 and was the 1964 “Pioneer Woman of the Year.”  She remembered and wrote “in all our churches this Christmas observance was typical, a time of mystery and joyous excitement. At All Saints Church on First & Jefferson Streets, where I belonged, we followed the general pattern. The rector brought a not-too-big fir tree and branches of fir and cedar from his ranch away out on the Little Spokane River to help decorate the chapel. We gathered in the cold little room and made wreaths and garlands to hang on the bare walls until they looked festive.

All Saints was then only a mission church and had no money for spending, so all gifts and trimmings were donated by the parents. We girls of the Sunday School went to the home of our teacher and strung popcorn and cranberries and made little boot-shaped bags of colored tarleton to be filled with candy and hung on the tree. The little candles that lighted that tree glowed and flickered with a beauty no electric bulbs can equal now-a-days. Lest a candle fall or lean over and start a blaze, a young man stood guard with snuffers and a bowl of water but never was there a bit of trouble.”

What was Christmas like for you as a child? What do you think it was like for YOUR parents and/or grandparents? 

 

Our Spokesman In 1921 & Our Davenport Hotel

 

Having the need to look at the Spokesman for an article published back in 1921, I signed into www.Newspapers.com.......... And used up a whole hour just browsing! The paper was, I'd guess, a good 50% advertisements. No surprise; there was no TV for stores to get the word out. Sure was fun to browse those old ads. 

First thing I noted was the header: “The Twice-A-Week Farmer’s Family Newspaper.” Doesn’t that imply that Spokane was a community primarily of farmers?? And do look carefully at the logo………… it’s all about farming.

And yet, it was just seven years previously, in 1914, that our fabulous Davenport Hotel opened its doors!  We know how luxurious that Old Lady was (and still is). Thinking about those two seemingly contrasting things really fired up my interest even more in Spokane's history. 

** I have an 11x8 folder containing 14 pages of the history of the Davenport. It's not dated but I think it was a promotional handout of some sort published by the Friends of the Davenport. I did check with Anna Harbine at the MAC and they already have several copies of this. If any of you would like to have this, just let me know. Tiz up for grabs.                        

Elderberries: Fruit Of Our Ancestors

 

Elderberries.  They grow in the wild and are not usually cultivated. Maybe you’ve had elderberry wine?  According to an older issue of True West magazine, “elderberries were popular on the frontier and were used in multiple ways. Both the snowy white flowers and deep dark berries were made into medicine, syrup, tea, jam and jelly, pie, wine, brandy and even ink!” But not everybody like elderberries. An editorial in a an old California paper stated,” If nature has created anything we heartily dislike, it’s that obtrusive, intruding elderberry (bush). And then such fruit it bears! We would as soon eat wild ground cherries. Adding to the annoyance was the fact that the leaves and roots are toxic as are the berries unless they’re cooked.”  The article carried a recipe for Elderberry Cough Syrup:

“1 cup elderberries, 1 ¼ cups water, 1 cup molasses, 4 TB brandy; wash and clean the berries; place everything into a saucepan and gently boil for 20 minutes. Cool and place into a glass container and use as needed; store in the refrigerator to extend life and keep fresh.” Do you think it would work??

Do remember: Our ancestors made do with what they had, what was around them and learned to live with less. 

Charlotte Sullivan's Military Presentation Handout

 On this day, December 7th, a somber day in U.S. history, we genealogists pause to think on "military history." We want to learn the stories of our ancestors' military service so to remember and honor them.  EWGS member, Charlotte Sullivan, provided this handout to accompany her presentation some months ago. In case you missed it, here it is:

Various Sources for World War II and Korean War Military Records

Charlotte McCoy Sullivan

 

General:

·         National Archives – archives.gov/veteran (to request veteran records)

·         Air Force Historical Research Agency - https://www.afhra.af.mil/

·         Air Force Historical Research site - http://airforcehistoryindex.org/search.php (order docs from here)

·         Historical Atlas of World War II – there are several and useful - as are maps in general

·         Google everything!

 

World War II General:

·         Carter, Kit and Robert Mueller, U.S. Air Forces in World War II – Combat Chronology 1941-1945 (daily recap of all Air Force activity worldwide)

·         Miller, Donald, Masters of the Air

·         Overy, Richard, The Bombers and the Bombed (Allied air war over Europe)

·         Steinbeck, John, Bombs Away (WW II promotional about a B-17 Crew)

 

World War II Squadron/Unit Specific:

·         _____, http://www/303rdbg.com (303rd Bomb Group website)

·         _____, http://reddog1944.com (487^th Bomb Squadron and others)

·         Atkinson, Rick, The Day of the Battle (Sicily, but his other 2 books are also excellent)

·         Bowman, Martin, The Mighty Eighth at War (8^th Air Force)

·         Deerfield, Eddie, Hell’s Angel’s Newsletters, V I-III. (303^rd Bomb Group).

·         Johnson, Richard, Twenty-five Milk Runs (and a Few Others), (303^rd Bomb Group)

·         Wilson, Kevin, Blood and Fears (8^th Air Force)

 

Korean War General:

·         _____, Steadfast and Courageous: FEAF Bomber Command and the Air War in Korea, 1950-1953.

·         Endicott, Judy, The USAF in Korea: Campaigns, Units and Stations, 1950 – 1953.

·         Fehrenbach, T. R., This Kind of War (a lot about the Army)

 

Korean War Squadron/Unit Specific:

·         Costelllo, Ron, Diary of a Tail Gunner (343^rd Bomb Squadron, Yokota Air Force Base)

·         Hudder, Vernon, R., The Brush of Angel Wings (98^th Bomb Wing, Yokota Air Force Base)

 

EWGS December Program---Another Winner

 

Are you ready to learn why we kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas time? And does mistletoe have white or red berries..... 0r both? And won't it be fun to learn about Santa's sleigh? Thanks to all who planned and executed that wonderful meeting.

I really truly hate to burst your bubble but despite what the can states, Libby's pumpkin is NOT technically pumpkin?? It's a strain of Dickenson squash which is thicker and creamier; the FDA did say it's okay to call it pumpkin. What do you think? Do you care? (And, by the by, canned pumpkin is yummy and safe for dogs.)

EWGS December Meeting Is Always a Gift To Members

 

  

So sad that we won't be meeting in person again for our fabulous December meeting. We wanted to have an in-person Ugly Sweater Contest.......but guess that will wait until 2022.  But for some EWGS Christmas cheer, don't miss our December meeting.