Dec. 26, 1930: CHRISTMAS IS SPENT QUIETLY AND HAPPILY

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 26, 1930.

CHRISTMAS IS SPENT QUIETLY AND HAPPILY

With Ordinary Activities Hushed and Spirit of Sharing Predominant, City Holiday is Cheerful.

NO ACCIDENTS OR FIRES MAR JOYS

(BY ENGLEBERT ZIMMERMAN)

Under the spell of Christmas, Valparaiso paused yesterday in the lull of ordinary activities to contemplate the occasion’s significance… give aid to the unfortunate and finally to rejoice in the spirit of Him whose memory Christmas yearly renews.

Spreading the yuletide spirit to every part of the city, Christmas trees glistened and shone in the bright sunshine of a mild Christmas day. Holly wreaths gleamed cheery greetings from the windows of homes and brilliant lighted trees in yards and in homes at night cast a gleam of the age-old message of “peace on earth, Good-will toward men.”

In homes, families were reunited. There was the traditional and overpowering family dinner with much merrymaking and thanksgiving. The night before Santa unloaded his bag at the family tree in the corner.

The weather was perfect over the holiday, and what snow was on the ground disappeared under the warm sun, which shown down the greater part of the day.

Joy and happiness were experienced by the city’s unfortunate and jobless through the open hearts of Valparaiso citizens and service organizations which spread cheer to the most humble homes of the city.

The Valparaiso Lodge of Elks distributed a large number of baskets to needy families, an annual custom with the lodge. The cost this year was defrayed through contributions by the members.

The revival of the midnight mass service at St. Paul’s Catholic church Wednesday night after two years was the signal for a large outpouring of church members and the public to attend this popular service. Rev. John Sullivan, the pastor, preached a short sermon, and special music enlivened the colorful ceremonial.

At Immanuel Lutheran church Wednesday evening, the annual children’s Christmas service was held. Christmas day, special services were held at 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., with Rev. George Schutes, the pastor, officiating. Large crowds attended the services.

Rev. A.E. Pflaum, of East Chicago, former pastor at St. Andrew’s Episcopal, officiated at services held at 9 a.m. Christmas day in the church. A vested choir provided music for the service.

Business generally about the city was suspended yesterday. The post office, county building, and practically all business establishments were closed for the entire day.

At the fire station Wednesday, the city fire laddies played Santa to a large number of the poorer children of the city. A sack of candy was handed out to each child who called at the station. At one time a waiting line half a block long extended down the street. A Christmas tree tinselled and lighted was a feature. Clarence Osborn, standby of the firemen, was remembered with a large number of presents. At the Premier and Memorial theatres large crowds attended the afternoon and evening performances. Manager Justin Shauer arranged special programs, including vaudeville for the occasion.

The day was exceptionally quiet and free from any disturbances of any king, according to city police. There were no Christmas accidents or tragedies and the city fire department had only one fire call, and that occured in the waning hours.

Dec. 24. 1935: WHAT A PARTY, THAT’S VOTE OF CITY’S KIDDIES Premier Theatre Packed for Annual Christmas Party. Santa and Gifts Spread Joy at Event.

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 24, 1935.

WHAT A PARTY, THAT’S VOTE OF CITY’S KIDDIES

Premier Theatre Packed for Annual Christmas Party. Santa and Gifts Spread Joy at Event.

FOOD BROUGHT TO SHOW FOR NEEDY

Boy! Oh! Boy! What a yowling good time those kids had at their annual Christmas party today.

Just ask any one of them, or any adult who peeked into Premier THeater this morning before the big show started. How those youngsters yelled when Santa Claus strode out on the stage to wish them all a Merry Christmas. How they cheered Commander T.O.Dillon of the American Legion who told them who sponsored the party and thanked all of the businessmen and and Vidette-Messenger readers for their contributions that made the swell gifts of candy and cracker jack possible The Premier Theater management donated all the films and show house for the part.

The event was to begin at 10:30 this morning with doors of the theater opening at 9:45. But who ever saw a youngster waiting at home until that time? Not many. Red checked, laughing kiddies, wide-eyed in anticipation of the fun to come, began to swarm about the show house entrance at nine o’clock. It wasn’t long after, that the legionnaire hosts and manager Justin Shauer of the theater, decided to open the doors. Then the stampede began. Each youngster was given a bag of candy and a box of popcorn confection on his way in and the lines seemed continuous until 10:30, completely filling the large show house.

Prior to the start of the move program Vernon L. Beach led his theater packed audience in several Christmas songs accompanied by Madge Lindall at the piano. Then, after several announcements by Manager Shauer and introduction of Santa and Commander Dillon the kiddies shook the theater with their singing of “Popeye the Sailor Man”, and the two-hour movie performance began.

Due to the help of many of the youngsters scores of needy families in Valparaiso will be treated to a bountiful Christmas dinner tomorrow, for over a truckload of foodstuffs was left in the lobby. This was loaded into the truck of George Grundell, legion member, who carted it to the veterans’ headquarters where it will be sorted and tonight distributed to poor families by the members of American Legion Auxiliary.

In addition to firemen, policemen, Mrs. Walter Vevia, Mrs. Bert Smith and Mrs. Schuyler Leffler, Legionnaires who helped at the theater party this morning were: Commander Dillon, Jack Yeager, chairman of the party committee, V.C. Lane, Ralph Kouns, Frank Reid, Paul McDonald and Ray Tuttle.

Vidette-Messenger carrier boys, all of whom did their bit by soliciting donations from their readers for the party, were represented at the theater today by the committee composed of John MacFarlane, Kenneth Rader, Arthur Van Arsdel and Glenn Reynolds. Harold Trapp was commended for his fine characterization of Santa. Donald Wertman, Bob Rex, MacFarlane, Trapp and Reynolds also did a fine job helping the management straighten up the theater.

Dec. 22, 1950: Prisoners To Get Treat Cheer To Be Spread At Public Institutions

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 22, 1950.

Prisoners To Get Treat

Cheer To Be Spread At Public Institutions 

Christmas cheer will be spread at Porter Memorial hospital, the Porter County home and will even invade the county jail, a check with these institutions revealed today.

Patients at the hospital, who incidentally are crowding hallways due to an adult total of 75 at present, will be remembered with room decorations, tray favors and covers and turkey dinners for those on full diets, R. Edwin Hawkins, administrator, said, today.

Aluminum foil miniature Christmas trees of varied hues will be placed on bedside tables Sunday by the patient-cart committee of the Hospital Guild. Mrs. Wilbur Cooper and Mrs. Shannon Brown are co-chairmen of this committee, which makes regular room visits with a mobile cart filled with items for patient use. The guild will also treat patients with home-made cookies and Christmas story pamphlets. Mrs. Ross Corson and Mrs. Gerald Beach have been busy this week preparing the cookies.

For children at the hospital the Wheeler auxiliary of the hospital Guild, headed by Mrs. Edward Brickner, will make favors. Furnishing holiday favors for the children;s ward is a regular project for this auxiliary. Mrs. Carlton Patton will be in charge of the Christmas plans this weekend.

Brownie troop members have made individual tray favors consisting of tiny trees dipped in mica to add an effect of sparkling snow.

Girl Scouts of the junior high age group have also employed their artistic skill to bring cheer to 61 residents at the county home. Fifteen table centerpieces of miniature logs and Christmas candles which are being used at the home this holiday season are the work of Troop 10. Turkey and chicken dinners will be served at the county home, which has been decorated in holiday spirit. Members of the Catholic Woman’s club have supplied and decorated a tree for women of the home. The club also gave fruit and hard candy to add to their cheer. Mrs. Lawrence Mayer served as committee chairman.

Carolers have also added to the season’s pleasure for home residents this week, and various gifts and baskets have been given by Valparaiso organizations and individuals, as well as “sunshine baskets” of fruit and candy furnished by the Salvation Army.

Turkey dinner from “soup to nuts” will also be enjoyed by six inmates at the county jail. Candy will be distributed during the day.

Dec. 21, 1985: Traditions then meant more work, but also more joy

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 21, 1985.

Traditions then meant more work, but also more joy

By Elizabeth Cloyd

Staff writer

PORTER ー Resting before a blazing fire in a cabin nestled in the snow-covered Indiana Dunes seems like a cozy way to celebrate Christmas.

Melissa Brooks portrays the eldest girl in the house during a Swedish celebration of St. Lucia’s Day. As the eldest girl, she serves coffee and rolls to Paul and Connie White. St. Lucia’s Day, Dec. 13, opened the Christmas season for the early Swedish settlers.

Maybe it wouldn’t seem so comfy if you had to chop the wood for the blazing fire, slaughter a duck or goose for Christmas dinner and settle down to finally relax in a home you built yourself.

For the early Swedish and French settlers in the Dunes area, Christmas was a long season that required much preparation, but resulted in much joy.

Swedish settlers, like Anders Chellberg, celebrated the holidays from Dec. 13 to Jan. 13. Joseph Bailly, and other French settlers in the area, celebrated from Christmas Eve through Jan. 6.

Both groups of settlers enjoyed a holiday season brimming with food, merriment and song, according to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore ranger Jude Rakowski.

Rakowski is coordinating a look at Christmas in the mid-1800s that will begin at 1 p.m. today at the Bailly Homestead and Chellberg Farm.

Visitors will be able to tour the homestead and farm and take a peek at what Christmas was like in the 18th century, the times when the pioneers of Porter County settled here. Call 926-7561 to make sure space is available.

The program is just one event scheduled during the winter months to encourage people to visit and use the park, Rakowski said.

“Yesteryear’s Traditions'' programs began at the farm and homestead in 1981. Rakowski said park rangers and volunteers sought information about the Christmas traditions and events families like the Chellbergs and Baillys may have enjoyed during the holidays.

Authentic Swedish wreaths and a tree will decorate the Chellberg farm and straw sheaves and sorghum branches will decorate the trees outside. At Bailly, trees and carolers will inspire Christmas spirit.

Recreating a pioneer Christmas isn’t easy.

Rangers and volunteers had the information about what everyday life was like for the early settlers, but had to dig around to find out what a typical holiday might be like, Rakowski said.

Much of the information came from northwest Indiana residents who were from Sweden or France, or were descendents of persons from those countries.

“It’s a rich area as far as customs go,” Rakowski said. “There are not as many French people in the area but a lot of people who live here are right from Sweden.”

Many Swedish residents are recruited to serve as guides for the program, to share their knowledge as well as their accents. Rakowski said she tries to find former Sweden residents because their accents add charm and realism to the presentations, but it isn’t always possible to find transplanted Swedes.

One year Rakowski served as “Jude Johannsen” for the day, complete with a practiced Swedish accident.

Rakowski said to learn about Swedish customs, she and other rangers conducted interviews with area residents and leafed through books. Visits to area museums also provided insight into the holidays. Finding out more about how the Baillys welcomed the holidays was another matter. Students enrolled in French classes at Chesterton High School researched customs and will serve as guides during the program. “Yesteryear’s Traditions'' visitors will be greeted by guides in authentic Swedish and French costumes. The guides will divide visitors into two groups, one that will visit Bailly first, the other viewing Christmas at Chellberg first.

The Christmas season at the Chellberg Farm, and other Swedish homesteads, began on St. Lucia’s Day, Dec. 13. On that morning, the eldest girl in the home donned a crown with five candles and beckoned her family to come down for a breakfast she prepared, Rakowski said.

Anders and Johanna Chellberg and their family probably enjoyed a light breakfast of rolls and coffee, and hung wreaths of lingonberries or whortleberries on their doors and walls, according to the ranger.

On Christmas Eve the Chellbergs probably bathed and washed their hair in large wooden or metal tubs. Christmas crowns of straw were hung on the walls of the Chellberg Farm, adn straw was strewn on the clean floor to represent the straw in the manager.

Straw will also represent the manager and wreaths will be hung today, just as they were when the Chellbwehs celebrated Christmas in their home in the 1880s.

A half-moon of evergreens was spread outside the house door, so visitors could wipe their feet before entering. The Christmas tree was hidden from the children as parents decorated it with white candles, flags, woven hearts, fruits and nuts. When the tree was decorated, the Jul-bock, or goat, rang a bell, beckoning the children into the room.

Even the animals celebrated the holiday. Rakowski said wheat and sorghum sheaves were tied with a red ribbon to feed the birds, and the farm animals were given a special Christmas Eve meal.

A bowl of porridge was set in the barn for the Jultomten, friendly gnome that supposedly lived under the barn floor.

Julotta, a church service, opened Christmas Day for the Swedes. Families traveled to church in sleighs and carried candles during the service.

Dec. 28 was St. Stephen's Day, a day of feasting and visiting. Families strolled from home, singing carols at each open door.

The Christmas season ended between Jan. 6 and 13, when the Christmas tree candles were lit for the last time.

When Joseph Bailly and his family established their homestead in Westchester Township in 1822, they probably began their first Christmas there on Dec. 24 with a yule log-burning party. Each family saved part of each year’s yule log for the following year’s Christmas.

A bundle of wheat and sorghum tied to a tree provides a Christmas treat for the birds at Chellberg farm. Trying the bundles to trees during the holidays is a Swedish custom observed by early settlers in the area.

Christmas was a solemn, religious day when the settlers celebrated Christ’s birth with a high mass.

The settlers’ celebrated New Year’s Eve with caroling and a feast. During the festivities, families brought out food, clothing and money for the poor, which masqueraded carolers collected on carts.

New Year’s Day was also filled with caroling and skits, and families exchanged gifts. The French settlers visited their neighbors on the first day of the year, and the gentlemen of each family lined up in order of age to kiss the hostess on the cheek.

The Feasts of Kings, a formal ball, ended the Christmas festivities Jan. 6.

The King of the ball was chosen by pure coincidence.

The oldest woman in the village baked a cake with four beans hidden in it. The first unmarried man to find a bean in his slice of cake was chosen king, and reigned over the festivities for the evening.

Several of these traditions will be re-enacting during the Bailly-Chellberg Christmas. Children will be invited to decorate the tree at the Chellberg Farm, Rakowski said, and carolers will fill the area with music at both locations.

A woman will sing French Christmas carols at Bailly, and Swedish music will be provided at Chellberg. A wood-burning water heater to keep animals warm will also be stoked up and operating at Chellberg.

Volunteers and park rangers will explain the Swedish and French holiday customs and will answer questions about those early Porter County Christmas celebrations and about the first residents.

Dec. 20, 1935: Kouts Has Tree, But Holiday Garb For It Seems Unlikely; Fire Chief Wise Sets Record

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 20, 1935.

Kouts Has Tree, But Holiday Garb For It Seems Unlikely; Fire Chief Wise Sets Record

(BY ROBERT ALLETT)

KOUTS, Dec. 20.ーKouts has a Christmas tree, but unless the American Legion decides to do something about it at their meeting tonight, there won’t be any lights on it this year. The tree, which might be used, is located in a park owned by the Pennsylvania railroad. No public observance of Christmas is planned for the community, which hasn’t celebrated the coming of St. Nick with anything special in the past five or six years.

The town board at its meeting Monday night turned down a suggestion that it buy a tree and trim it, for two reasons. In the first place town board members think the merchants should sponsor such a project and in the second place they remember that the last time a tree was decorated it stood in the downtown district until the middle of summer!

Of course, the Holidays will not come and go unnoticed here. Individual merchants have spread the cheer in their business establishments, J.G. Benkie’s Drug store with an attractive old English display in its windows, and Henry Dux, Fred Perry, Roy Wandry, Rasmussen’s, Quirk’s, Walk’s, Denison’s, Lee Murray, and Lee Fleming all having tinsel and festoons, or setting up brightly colored trees both in and outside their establishments.

Today at the high school which [illegible from water damage] a two week’s vacation, pupils were entertained with programs and treated to gifts. Grades one and two, three and four, five to eight and the high school held separate parties. Dramatics, music and surprise packages were headliners on the various programs.

Santa Claus will appear Tuesday night at Walt’s grocery and at Quirk and Co., distributing free candy and trinkets to several hundred children.

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Even if the fire didn’t amount to much, Chief Si Wise thinks he hung up something of a record in responding to an alarm Thursday morning at 10:20. The siren screamed while Si was up on a ladder in front of a local grocery store where he was decorating a Christmas tree.

Si jumped to the ground, made a hundred yard dash to the nearby fire station, broke the glass in the key box when he found the door locked, and unassisted drove the engine to Jim Herring’s Tavern, scene of the excitement. It was merely an overheated chimney burning out and when Jim shut the draft off the fire died down.

Nevertheless, Si had come and gone with his apparatus before other merchants in town, who had heard the siren, could get outdoors to see where the fire was. At least that’s the story.

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The last 1935 meeting of the town board, held Monday night, marked the farewell appearance of William Salzer, clerk-treasurer, Chris Daumers, president, and Carl Peters councilman from the fourth ward Emil Hofferth and Fred Perry remain [illegible from water damage] board for another term and new members who will make take over their duties after Jan. 1 are Gust Rosenbaum, who replaces Daumers, Oscar Maxwell, who replaces Peters, and James Griffith, who is the new clerk-treasurer.

Dec. 19, 1930: Notes on Christmas from The Civic Secretary

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 19, 1930.

The CIVIC SECRETARY

MRS. EFFIE S. EARLE, Director

BEING a department set aside for the Inspiration and interpretation of Valparaiso’s Community Impulses. The co-operation of all those interested in activities pointing to this end is urged. Mrs. Effie S. Earle, as director of this department, may be reached by telephone: Number 603-W.

Who wants to think of anything but Christmas, and the joy of giving? Did you ever know a Christmas before when every individual and every organization was so intent on giving? The clubs of all kinds, the church societies, the schools and all the organizations giving their Christmas parties this year are not content to enjoy the gay time alone, they needs must bring gifts to send out among the sick, the lonely and the needy. Not since President Hoover asked us to feed the Belgians, some fifteen years ago, have we been willing to sacrifice, in order to give, as we are this winter.

Perhaps hard times and unemployment have been good for us. Perhaps we were losing that spirit of helpfulness and neighborliness, that we need to keep us from growing hard and selfish. There is no better time to appeal to our better impulses for giving than at the Christmas season.

The joy of giving is exemplified also in the bundles that are brought daily to the relief station in the basement of the Woman’s Club house, and to the home of Mrs. Louise Shauer. Why not all share in this joy of giving, the one who takes as well as he who gives. If the one who takes, takes that which he does not need, or that which he could earn, then he is robbing someone else, taking joy away, instead of giving joy.

Both Mrs. VanNess and Mrs. Sauer report that the crying need just now is for more bed clothes, comforts particularly. As soon as this want is known, we know it will be met. Was there ever a winter in Porter County, when the needy were so well supplied as they are this winter, or do we sense it more, because the work is centralized, as never before.

This plan seems to be working out so well, perhaps we will never go back to the old way of promiscuous giving. The accurate account of the work which this committee is keeping, is going to be the biggest kind of help to the workers, of winters to come. We say as said Tiny Tim in Dickens’ Christmas Carol: “God bless us, every one,” and transform all old “scrooges” into benevolent gentlemen.

Dec. 18, 1965: Makes Unique Exhibit

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 18, 1965

Makes Unique Exhibit

By ROLLIE BERNHART

HEBRON ー It would be sad to say that Mrs. Mae Donohue is one of Porter county’s happiest citizens.

The 77-year-old Hebron-area resident has a perfect right to this distinction, for she has achieved happiness through an unusual and unique hobby.

All of the items she has collected in her travels have been utilized to depict memorable historic and religious eventsーincluding the land rush at the opening of the State of Oklahoma in 1889 in which her father participated, to Santa Claus and his reindeer as they come out of the snow-filled sky. Set up in a 10 by 24 foot room in her modest home two miles southeast of Hebron on County Road 1000S, the entire hand-made series of displays has taken her years to completely assemble. She began gathering materials when the idea was born in 1940.

On tables around the room she has depicted scenes which cover her own life, from the time memory came to her as a small child in Oklahoma, where her father, Frank Folsom, popped the gun which started the rush for land in 1889, to later years of trapping, hunting and fishing along the Kankakee river.

Collections not used in table displays, are set up on tiered shelving along three sides of the room.

The illuminated scenes contain more than 500 dolls, farms, homes, churches, Indian tepees dogs and other animals . . . everything in attire, harnesses and building materials handmade by Mrs. Donohue.

Fur used on many of the forms came from her own trapping experiences; leather harnesses cut from animal hide, and even dried and treated fish scales comprised a roadbed in one of the scenes.

Mrs. Donohue is her own tour guide using a thin cane to point out the historical and religious import of each display and each item, which she identifies explicitly to visitors to the exhibit.

The exhibit, containing a scene of the Three Wise Men enroute to Bethlehem and birth of the Christ child in the manger, is open to the public.

It is a product of the extreme happiness of a woman who can still smile after experiencing nine operations and knowing convalescence in a wheelchair.

With her usual disarming smile, she proudly points out to visitors her original slogan for her unique 25-year effort: “From Canada Across The U.S.A. To Nome, In One Evening At Home.”

UNIQUE HOME EXHIBITーMrs. Mae Donohue uses thin cane to point out interesting parts of a unique exhibit covering memorable historical and religious events which she has set up in her home two miles southeast of Hebron on County Road 1000S. Top, Christmas scene depicting Santa Claus and his tiny reindeer emerging from Icelandic home at North Pole; bottom, Three Wide Men crossing desert enroute to Bethlehem.

Dec. 15, 1950: RAIL STRIKE SPREADS ACROSS U.S. Postal Order Hits Service In Valparaiso

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 15, 1950.

RAIL STRIKE SPREADS ACROSS U.S.

Postal Order Hits Service In Valparaiso

The Valparaiso postoffice today was not accepting parcel post Chrisrmas packages consigned to western points as a result of the crippling strike throughout the country among railroad trainmen, principally switchmen.

A general embargo order was received here on all second, third and fourth class parcel post, according to Postmaster Robert B. Wise. The ban also applies to all first class mail over eight ounces, including two-cent Christmas cards.

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RAIL EXPRESS EMBARGO

L.A. Fenimore, Railway Express company agent at the Grand Trunk, reported everything in and out of Chicago is embargoed except medical supplies. Shipments to the east are still clear, but operations are being conducted under difficulties, he added.

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The only exceptions to the order are daily newspapers, medicines and medical supplies, the postmaster added.

States not affected by the ban include Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and those in New England.

All air mail and parcel air post do not come under the order (One woman who tried to mail a large package to Florida was informed the postage would amount to $11.” Only first class mail is being dispatched to western and southern points.

Meanwhile parcel post and other mail matter is piling up at the local mail matter is piling up at the local office and in many terminals. Unless the strike is settled soon, many Christmas packages will not be delivered until after the holidays, postal officials said.

Package Number Dwindles

The volume of incoming parcel post received at the Valparaiso office has dwindled to a low point in the last few days, Postmaster Wise stated. The regular volume of 200 pouches during the first of the rush has been cut to around 50 to 75.

Railroads today reported passenger service is being operated on late schedules and freight business is slow and falling off.

Agent Ira Mummert, of the Pennsylvania lines, reported that freight headed for Chicago is being diverted at Hamlet on the New York Central to western point. However, freight consigned to Chicago is being held up at Wanatah and other points east of Valparaiso.

Mummert stated that both Valparaiso-Chicago suburban trains are still operating, as well as some other passenger runs, but several trains will be consolidated under a plan now being discussed. Most of the trains, however, are running late, he said.

Mail formerly handled by trains is now being taken over almost exclusively by trucks, the agent for the Chicago, New York, and St. Louis railroad (Nickel Plate) stated that no freight is being received out of Chicago and none is going in. Freight is moving in an easterly direction.

Ross Corson, agent of the Grand Trunk Western railroad reported freight business as slow. He said freight trains west are held up in the Elsdon switch yards of the company. Passenger trains are still operating, with three trains each way daily.