December 13, 2018
You are reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical
Society.
Today we begin a series of stories
about Christmas seasons from the past.
This story was taken from an article written by Gaylynn Childs, our
former Executive Director at the Museum. This is some of what she wrote: “A century ago in Junction City, the big
Christmas push didn’t begin until a week before the day. And yet, if the newspapers of that day are accurate
indicators, they had most of the traditional Christmas trappings and
festivities.
The B.
Rockwell Merchandise and Grain Company, which was located near the intersection
of 8th and Washington Streets had a contest that anyone could
enter. There was a five foot tall, pure beeswax candle that was
twelve inches in circumference and weighed 25 pounds, placed in the window of
the store. The contest was intended for people to guess how long it would take
to burn the candle once it was lit. The
winner would receive a prize. The clerks in the dry goods department of that
same store provided an evening of entertainment for the clerks in the grocery
department.
School programs also marked the
approach of Christmas in 1891. They were held on Christmas Eve when school was
still in session.
Well, be reading this program for
more ways the Christmas season was prepared for and celebrated during the early
days of Geary County History on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County
Historical Society
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