OPINION: Window shopping, Kresge's and a Ferris wheel: Christmas magic shines through the years

Dec. 10—The store windows were magical.

Mannequins draped in fancy dresses and suits, often featuring new coats and beautiful hats, beckoned youngsters to place faces to glass.

Snowflakes, Christmas trees and other holiday adornments completed the wonderland display set in a retail heaven of luxury.

Folks didn't usually dress like this in the country, where we were from.

Jeans and snow boots were our winter staple.

At that tender age, I couldn't even begin to imagine where one would wear a bright red coat with fur trim.

----Shopping in Bluefield during the '70s was a big deal — at least for those who didn't live in the city.

A trip to the shops lining the steep streets was a treat like no other. It didn't matter if we received a gift during the typical day-long excursion. We got to see the sights.

It seemed like everyone who resided in the heart of the Appalachia spent at least one day Christmas shopping in the downtown.

Parking was a problem, but no one really minded.

Selecting the right gifts for family and friends was a tradition, not a chore.

Penney's was my favorite store. I loved riding the escalator to the lowest floor, and the moment of magic when the display area came into view. Racks of clothing and shelves of other items peppered the landscape.

One of the highlights of the trip was having lunch at Kresge's. Swiveling on the stools at the counter was always fun and, after a great meal that usually included their famous doughnuts, I would peruse the costume jewelry laid out on the long counters.

----History tells me that in earlier days, decades before my time, a trip to Bluefield was even more glamorous.

Many shoppers rode the train to the city, where they could disembark and find stores carrying a variety of goods for most tastes and budgets.

Those tired from the trip could hop aboard the city's trolley, while others preferred to take in the sights from the streets — some still made of cobblestone or dirt.

Women of means wore the popular tailor-made suits, while those with an eye to early pop culture were sported styles indicative of "The Gibson Girl" look.

But in the coal camps, practicality — and tight budgets — dictated day-to-day women's fashions. Women in these communities dressed in long skirts of muslin or cotton, with a long-sleeve blouse buttoned modestly to the neck.

Cutaway frock coats or single or double breasted straight lined jackets were the style of the day for men. Worn with a high collar and bow tie, and topped with a bowler hat, men were suitably dressed for the business of the day, be it work or Christmas shopping in the supply hub of the coalfields.

----Society and culture have certainly changed dramatically since those days more than a century ago. Bluefield, a growing town then, has since faced struggles and challenges. Many of our coal towns are no more than a memory or a note in a local history book. And, maybe, a Wikipedia, entry.

Still, it's interesting to think about how simple times were back then, in an era before iPads, Google, apps and online shopping.

Imagine children not asking for — or expecting — 10 to 20 different gifts. What if parents didn't have to worry about purchasing the trendiest toy?

----On a recent December night I find myself in the city after work.

A giant, musical Christmas tree is drawing adults and children to the downtown. Nearby, a Ferris wheel lights up the evening sky.

Funnel cakes are being sold in a food truck and locals are experiencing the fun of ice skating.

It's a Norman Rockwell scene wrapped in an atmosphere of community and holiday goodwill.

Smiling, I take in the modern magic.

It's not the window shopping of long ago.

It's much, much more.

Samantha Perry is editor of the Daily Telegraph. Contact her at sperry@bdtonline.com. Follow her @BDTPerry.

— Contact Samantha Perry at sperry@bdtonline.com.