Sheila Hickman: Christmas memories stay bright from 1950s to today
When I was a little girl, a cedar tree was almost everyone’s choice for Christmas. Most of these were cut from a neighbor’s woods nearby perhaps without permission. The cedar tree was brought home and placed in a bucket of water. The tree was to be decorated on the day school was let out for the holidays. Later some fashionable folks bought trees such as spruce, hemlock and pine transported from a tree farm. In the sixties some very fashionable folks had aluminum trees illuminated by a color wheel and adorned with simple round ornaments. While these trees were beautiful, they did not capture the Christmas smell of cedar.
In the 1950s Columbia’s streets were decorated with strings of multi-colored lights extending from one side of the street to the other. The light bulbs were the old fashion incandescent bulbs, but they glowed brightly in the night air. I was certain that South Main Streets was really “Santa Claus Lane.” Every time we traveled down that hill I could just hear Gene Autry singing, “Here comes Santa Claus.” There once were beautiful houses on South Main, and one lady always had a Santa Claus sitting in her porch swing. Decorations were simpler but more meaningful.
Downtown Columbia was breathtaking. The stores stayed open at night, and parking places were hard to find. Every store window was decorated for Christmas. On the corner of West Seventh was Gordon’s Dress Shop. The mannequins were stylishly dressed in wool suits with matching hats and gloves usually in holiday colors. Memories of Gordon’s remind me of when dressing up was important.
Also on this side of the street were our dime stores. The windows at McClellan displayed tricycles, toy ironing boards, and baby dolls. Just looking in the window was such a treat. The candy lady had an infinite number of choices displayed in glass cases. For a dime I could buy a large portion of maple nut candies to enjoy as I walked around town. When I was very little, the store sold old fashioned lights on single circuits so that if one bulb burned out the whole string went dark. (My daddy invented some sort of electrical device, and he could check each bulb to find the culprit.) Available for decorating the Christmas trees were tinsel, icicles, and Shiny Brite ornaments.
In the fifties a large number toys were not displayed the year round, and the holiday season brought toy land to the stores. The next store most likely to catch my eye was J. C. Penney. Their broad widows had a special middle section devoted to toys. By the sixties the window had hula hoops, phonographs, Miss Revlon dolls, and Chatty Cathy dolls. Upstairs at Penney was a toy land and often a Santa Claus. I remember being confused because the Santa Claus there was not the same one that was across the street.
Woolworth was next on the block. This store was a bit bigger than McClellan. They had more room to display their Christmas toys and a little more variety. This store also had a soda fountain with the best banana splits and cherry Cokes. Among their wares were the amazing bubble lights. I would stand there for a long time trying to imagine just how those things worked.
Next on the street came Davis Dress Shop. Their window displays reflected the holidays too. When I was older, the window I remember most displayed ladies’ long red night gowns trimmed in white lace. On each model was a little night cap to match the ensemble. Their other mannequins wore holiday pastels for those who needed party clothes.
Helm’s Jewelry was the little jewelry store on the corner. Mrs. Helm and her staff were very busy with customers buying really expensive gifts. I looked in the window at sparkling diamonds and gleaming gold and thought what wonderful gifts someone would receive.
Across the street from Penney’s store was Anderson, Brothers, and Foster. This store had toy land on the third floor. The displays and varieties of toys made children anticipate Santa even more. Dolls were always popular, and they looked so glamorous. I fondly remember a ballerina doll and the first Barbie. Boys could admire electric trains, Roy Rogers’ pistols, and erector sets. Here also was a Santa Claus willing to listen to my requests.
Burt Brothers Furniture on South Main had a life-size Santa in their window. The figure moved from side to side waving good cheer to all. On Christmas Eve Santa disappeared because he had a very busy night ahead.
This reflection would not be complete without mentioning the Christmas Parade. Like the one last week, the parade took place at night. The lights hanging across the street reflecting in the store windows awakened the holiday spirit in those watching. The floats were very simple and usually made of napkins stuffed in chicken wire. Church groups, civic clubs, and scouts worked many hours to create their masterpieces. The most stirring part of the parade was the marching bands. Columbia Military Academy’s band with the uniformed cadets were especially striking. Central High School’s band marched proudly by playing “O Come All Ye Faithful” in their red, white, and blue uniforms. The part of this band that charmed me most were the majorettes. Their uniforms in military style were set off by white leather boots. I admired those girls, but I really wanted some of those boots.
Even in the decades past Santa Claus arrived riding atop the fire engine. His appearance marked the end of the parade and the beginning of the exciting events in December.
Sheila G. Hickman is a retired Maury County Public Schools educator who supports all good things about Maury County.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Sheila Hickman: Christmas memories stay bright from 1950s to today
