Westminster community Christmas celebrations

December 24, 2018 by Kevin Dayhoff, kevindayhoff@gmail.com

There is a rich history and tradition of celebrating Christmas in Carroll County. The city’s Christmas festivities took place at ‘The Forks’ at West Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue well into the 1950s; which at the time was considered to be the center of the downtown business district.

Much more research is needed to determine when the community Christmas celebration moved to Locust Lane across from where the Westminster branch of the Carroll County Public Library is located today.

Although I recall the community Christmas festivities taking place at ‘The Forks’ in the 1950s. I remember it taking place at the western end of town because our family had to walk to the other end of town to attend the Christmas tree lighting. We lived behind the Samios Food Market at the intersection of Washington Road and East Green Street. The store was demolished many years ago, but it was located next to where Jim Breuer’s Maggie’s Restaurant is located today.

A portion of this article appeared in the Carroll County Times online and in the Sunday Dec. 16, 2018 print edition in the Life and Times section. This edition of the story contains many of the edits restored. Read much more here in the Carroll County Times: https://www.carrollcountytimes...

Over a hundred years earlier, on January 6, 1866 Miss Mary Bostwick Shellman (1849-1938,) submitted school work at the Female Collegiate and Male Academic Institute located in a brick building which still stands at the entrance to the Westminster Cemetery, in which she mentions: “We have the library dressed beautifully.” The library, at the time, was established in 1863 and located in the Odd Fellow’s Hall at 140 East Main Street which was dedicated in 1858.

In several Carroll County Times articles in 1995 Jay Graybeal wrote, “Many of our modern day Christmas customs can be traced to the Victorian period. Decorating the house with greens, the Christmas tree and parties were all popular by the mid-nineteenth century.”

In a letter written by Shellman on Jan. 2, 1867, she mentions Santa Claus, which had, by the 1860s, become a fixture of the holidays. One holiday custom that has not stood the test of time is masquerading or “Kris Kringling.”

Graybeal writes “In the weeks preceding Christmas, the young people of the community would prepare their costumes and skits. Dressed in costume they would go door to door providing entertainments. In return, the household which had just been entertained by the Kris Kringlers would provide refreshments. The costumes would range from literary figures to historical personages as well as fanciful clothing.” Graybeal noted that “Although Miss Shellman described a joyous holiday season, she does reveal that Westminster society had yet to heal the wounds of the recent Civil War.”

In a Democratic Advocate article of January 4, 1879, it is noted that Kris Kringling had evolved into the masqueraders going from house to house collecting money for the poor in return for their entertainment.

Moving the annual Christmas festivities to Locust Lane was good stuff because we did not have to walk as far. One of my favorite memories was captured in an undated photograph found many years later in our family papers. The photographer is unknown. The photograph is probably from the late 1950s or early 1960s.

The gentlemen in the picture have been identified as best as possible, in part, from an interview with my late father-in-law, Mr. David Babylon, Jr., on January 20, 2002. Council President Babylon served on the Westminster Common Council from May 11, 1964 to May 19, 1989.

Left to right in the front is an unidentified child; immediately to Santa’s right, our left, is Andy Dietrich, the manager of Coffman Fisher. Santa Claus was probably Kale Mathias. Mayor Joseph L. Mathias is shaking hands with Santa Claus. Immediately behind the handshake is Paul Wimert, the husband of Gladys Wimert and the manager of Mather’s.

In the back, from left to right: is Harry Starr standing behind Andy Dietrich. He was the manager of Gorsuch and Little. The next individual is the gentleman who is pictured with glasses and without a hat. He looks very familiar, but sadly remains unidentified. The next gentleman, who is almost obscured by Santa Claus, also looks familiar but unfortunately he is also unidentified. On the end is Atlee Wampler representing the Westminster Retail Merchants Association.

One of the first electrically lighted Christmas trees in the White House was erected by President Grover Cleveland in 1895. This was the first time many folks had ever heard of electric Christmas lights. In Westminster, a newspaper article from December 19, 1896, notes the use of electric lights used for Christmas decorations: “Never before have the merchants of Westminster made such elaborate preparations for Christmas as they have done this year.”

One of the earliest references to a Community Christmas Tree Lighting in Westminster is found in a history of the Westminster Women’s Club. It was December 20th, 1928.

In November 1945, Mayor Mathias announced that for Christmas 1945, only the community Christmas tree at The Forks was going to be decorated. The war years had depleted available manpower and that candies and fruits were in limited supply; so no other decorations were put up by the City and there was no distribution of children’s Christmas presents.

On December 26, 1947 the Democratic Advocate, wrote of a parade consisting of the newly organized Molleville Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Also participating in the parade was Carroll Post No. 31 American Legion, and the Jerome D. Day Post of the 29th Division Association. Santa Claus rode in a large float. The parade ended at the "forks" where the community Christmas tree was lighted [by Mayor Joseph L. Mathias.]” Christmas carols, led by councilmember F. Kale Mathias, were sung by the community. Children under twelve each received a box of candy, orange and noisemaker.

More research is needed to determine when the tradition of the Mayor distributing a stocking with oranges and candy was discontinued, but I remember it as late as the 1960s. The earliest account of Westminster distributing presents is found in the American Sentinel on December 25, 1897.

An article in the Democratic Advocate on December 3, 1948, mentions the Kiwanis Club sponsoring a Children's Christmas Party in the Carroll Theater on December 19th, 1948.

Today we continue to enjoy many community traditions that have carefully been carried-on by the current Carroll County Board of Commissioners and the Westminster Mayor and Common Council. As the year comes to a close it is only appropriate to thank our local business leaders, and our elected and appointed officials for all their hard work for our community. Merry Christmas.

A portion of this article appeared in the Carroll County Times online and in the Sunday Dec. 16, 2018 print edition in the Life and Times section. This edition of the story contains many of the edits restored. Read much more here in the Carroll County Times: https://www.carrollcountytimes...