'A whole bunch of neat toys and a new baby brother': 40 years of Dayton kids' letters to Santa

Dec. 22—One of the favorite Christmas traditions for children for decades was writing a letter to Santa Claus and mailing it to the North Pole.

The practice has since transitioned to digital. The Post Office's Operation Santa is hosted at uspsoperationsanta.com, where people can adopt the letters of kids who submitted them and help them get gifts. The program has closed for this year, and it finished with almost 35,000 letter adoptions across the country, including 1,653 in Ohio (fifth-most nationally).

Former longtime Dayton Daily News reporter and columnist Dale Huffman spent more than 40 years going to the Dayton Post Office and, with their blessing, looking through Santa's mailbag to report back what children were asking for that particular year.

Here is a sampling from those reports of what Huffman found on those lists through the years.

1973

"I have never written to you before, but I believe in you. I understand you don't make house calls anymore. Could you please mail me a pair of roller skates? Love, Tara."

"Please send me a military windup machine, a copter squad, a military gun set, and a Pan Am jet. P.S. If you have room, please bring a battleship." — Scott

"Dear Santa Claus, Tommy wants a bike and Sandy wants a basketball and I'll take everything I can get. And I mean everything." — Grant from Englewood

"Dear Santa Claus, I want a big doll that wiggles and jiggles and that I can cuddle and hug." — Debbie from Miamisburg

1977

"Dear Santa, Please bring me a King Kong mask, some Star Wars people, a whole bunch of neat toys and a new baby brother and a new baby sister." — Danny

"If you can get my mom and dad to get me a Huffy bike for Christmas, then I will believe in you for the rest of my life, and that's a promise." — Lawrence

1982

"I want a pair of toy teeth, a big gun that shoots bullets, a tank I can ride in and a real cat. I love you Santa." — Paul

"I want the Dukes of Hazzard guys. But I want the old ones, Bo and Luke, not the new ones they brought in." — Kevin of Miamisburg

"I promise to be better if you bring me a Zip Zap space gun and space helmet." — Robby

"Olivia Newton-John and Purple Pie Man." — Joe

"A real Pepsi dispenser and color TV for my bedroom, and a swimming pool for next summer." — Andi

1988

"This is what I want for Christmas. Brave Star gun. Thank you." — Ian from Huber Heights

"All I want for Christmas this year is a model of the space shuttle." — Joni from Kettering

"I have been good and nice. Dear Santa I wish for G.I. Joes and a toy rabbit, and some fast cars." — Chris from Germantown

1992

"Dear Santa I want you to bring me Nintendo and my brother wants Nintendo too." — Drew

"I was pretty good this year. I do not care what you bring me for Christmas, as long as it is not Barbie stuff." — Dustin

"Could you bring me a stick horse. The kind that if I would press one ear it gallops. If I press the other ear it goes neigh. A grey one." — Lynn from Dayton

1995

"A Remote control car, train set, Nerf crossbows, football stuff from Walmart, tropical fish tank, CD player, Beastie Boys and Michael Jackson CDs, all Power Ranger toys, race car track and cars, Five Nintendo games (Earthworm Jim 1 and 2, Soccer), soccer and roller blade stuff, Sega Genesis and Computer" — Bobby from Xenia

1997

"Barbie's Motor Home or a Barbie's folding doll house." — Katie from Springfield

1998

"I want a CD player, Shania Twain CD, a Barbie camera, a Fashion Doll Barbie, bath and body works, a Lisa Frank Box, rose art and a 150 mini stamper." — Hannah of Waynesville

1999

"A Hollywood Nails Barbie and a Gameboy that's pink." — Shelby

2007

"I would like only Legos. Any kind with do." — John Tremblay of Washington Twp.

"A John Deere Ride-On or a boy pedal tractor that sells for about $134.93." — Noel Dalton of Troy

"A Bengals jersey number 85 and a Bengals jacket, Shrek 3, a Spider-Man bike, a bubble gum machine and SpongeBob toys." — Brandon Trimble of Springfield

"Please bring me a Hannah (Montana) CD, a Hannah lunch box, and a Hannah purse." — Connie Hall of New Carlisle

2010

"A piano, iPod, microphone, necklace and gift cards," adding "Dear Santa, I love you so much as someone who gets stuff for me." — Shannon

"A Blackberry cell phone, Jordan shoes, 32-in flat screen TV, Kobe shoes, LeBron Shoes, Xbox controller, dirt bike, clothes and money." — Shawn

"Dear Santa, I want a Spider-Man toy, Spider-Man Web Blast and a tent and a football." — Stephen

"Some Lady Gaga music" and for "some more Star Wars stuff to add to my collection." — Cody