“Christmas season is approaching and already the Yuletide spirit is in the air,” so wrote the Greenville Evening Banner of Friday, December 3, 1920. Local merchants placed their first offerings on display. Early indications are that an excellent offering of Christmas merchandise is to be made this season regardless of unsettled conditions.
“American-made toys are again predominating and these particularly are being shown. The windows of the toy stores have been filled, and many children are on the streets every day gazing longingly at the Christmas goods and trying to decide how many of them they want Santa Claus to bring.
The churches and Sunday Schools are also planning the observance of Christmas. Meetings will be called to decided on what form of public observance the church will adopt, whether it will be a Christmas tree or other forms. Practically all churches will arrange for some entertainment for the children and definite announcements will soon be made.
Many merchants are using the “shop early” slogan and they are reiterating their request for an early buying while their stocks are complete and before the rush begins.”
On the 15th of that same month, the Evening Banner announced school closings for December. Remember that Greenville had not only a public-school system but two colleges in 1920. “From December 17 to January 3, the public schools will be suspended, while Burleson College will have a holiday recess from December 23 to January 3 and Wesley College will have no classes from December 22 to January 4.
With the beginning of the public-school holiday, at the close of the regular session on a Friday, the Christmas season will actively begin. A number of holiday affairs, for the young and the grown folks too are planned and the festive season after this week begins in all its splendor to be celebrated.”
But the next day the City of Greenville issued caution. “Because the growth of trees on the city’s property near the water works is necessary to protect the land and to prevent washing and clogging of the channels of Sabine river and the small creeks nearby, and because there is an ordinance defining and fixing a penalty for trespassing on the city’s property there, the police department has had to take steps to stop the cutting of small and large cedar trees from the property by persons desiring them for Christmas trees,” said Chief of Police Sam R. Polk this morning.
“Much evidence of such ruthless cutting of valuable trees has been noted,” the head of the Police Department said, “and in many cases several trees have been cut down by individuals who have left them lying after making a choice of ones to take away.” Also Mr. Polk said, “persons had thrown the brush and branches cut away into the river and small creeks, constituting a serious menace to bridges and the dam as well as making the source of water supply unsatisfactory.”
Consider the 1920 Christmas and our Christmas this year. Both were/are unique. So, think of Christmas Past, dream of Christmas Future, and enjoy Christmas Present.