Lexington, Ky. - The holidays are a time for reflection and fond remembrances of seasons long ago. For retailers, however, this is often the "make or break" period of the year. These two attitudes often collide, with the resulting hue and cry that Christmas has become commercialized and lost its original meaning.
One certainly would think so after perusing local newspapers from 115 or so years ago. The Kentucky Leader, great-granddaddy of the Lexington Herald-Leader, offers an interesting snapshot of Bluegrass Holiday traditions from the 11-year period, 1888-1898.
A reflective article published the evening after Christmas 1888 read, in part, "The festivities at the churches began Monday night, when a large crowd assembled at the first [sic] Presbyterian Church to see what Santa Claus had in store for the Sunday school children." The article goes on to describe how a platform had been erected in the sanctuary over the pews for a Santa Village display. (How's that for injecting secular celebration into a religious space?)
Congregants at the Hill Street Methodist Church were a bit more measured. Although "there was a beautiful Christmas tree to which the children were treated to a choice lot of bon bons," the purpose of the gathering was a Christmas concert by a 200-voice choir and orchestra. Over at St. Paul's Catholic Church, parishioners were offered much more traditional worship: two morning masses, with choir, soloists, and orchestra.
A decade or so later, commercialism was still firmly a part of the seasonal fair. The Dec. 18, 1898, Sunday Leader published a series of delightful letters from children to Santa Claus with their wish lists, some of which were surprisingly practical. Leon Jackson, for instance, asked for "a pair of shoes, dress, set of dishes, patrol wagon, horn, stockings and candy, oranges, bananas and all kinds of fruit." Ida L. Sallee diplomatically requested "a nice big doll a little ring and doll buggie and anything you want to bring."
Many of the girls asked for dolls or doll-related items, while the boys were wide ranging in their requests. A few went so far as to ask for firecrackers and Roman candles.
Santa's response to these requests: "The Leader has come to me every day with your sweet letters and I am going to do all I can to gratify your wishes. I have just called at The Leader office to get a bundle of papers and I am going to put in the day looking over the advertisements before making out my shopping lists. I agree with my good friends of The Leader that we ought to buy everything we can in Lexington."
In 1888, the December 11 Leader suggests what children sought in an ad placed by Thompson & Boyd, a store on East Main Street. Illustrated are a miniature U.S. Mail wagon, snow sled, rocking horse, writing desk, and a swinging horse. Toys listed for sale include printing presses, velocipedes [bicycles], Noah's arks, bagatelle boards, and laundry sets.
A half-page ad placed by the Kaufman Clothing Co., a downtown men's clothier on West Main, offers insight as to clothing styles and prices of the decade. The tone of the ad sounds eerily similar to what we might expect to hear during Christmas 2008: "No Christmas was ever ushered in, in Lexington, which found us with a more magnificent stock of Holiday Goods. At no Christmas were prices as low as now in our big store. You will be astonished to find how little it takes to bring joy to the hearts of those you love."
Beneath that missive are listed a variety of goods under such headings as "For Little Willie" or "For Papa." These included "A Mother's Friend Shirt Waist or a pair of good Woolen Pants" for boys that could be had for 50¢. That ubiquitous "handsome silk necktie" was offered for a range of 25¢-50¢. On the high end, housecoats cost from $5-$7, and Mackintoshes (overcoats) went for up to $10. Other items advertised by Kaufman's remind us of men's styles gone by: standing collars, dress shirt protectors, and driving fur gauntlets.
Even Christmas Day had a fair amount of downtown merchandising. The Dec. 25, 1892, Kentucky Leader lists the "Hotel Menus Today" for the Clarendon, Phoenix, Ashland, and Palace hotels. The Clarendon featured sugar-cured ham, corned beef, and beef tongue. Down at the Phoenix, diners could choose from among squab, sweetbreads, cream fritters, and roast pheasant. Over at the Ashland, the choices were stuffed mallard duck, beef a la mode, Italian macaroni, and mixed chicken. The Palace offered sirloin of beef, turkey with oyster dressing, goose, and quail.
The downtown arts scene was lively that Christmas Day, with the "Great Sensational Scenic Production, entitled '777'" at the Opera House. "Xmas Matinee" tickets were 25¢ for any seat in the house, while evening performance tickets were as high as $1 for fauteul seats.
One hundred 15 years later, the intensity of the Lexington Holiday retail scene does not appear much different -except for the prices.
Jamie Millard is Trustee, Lexington History Museum.