Clues from the past for enjoying the holidays in this era

Let’s do a “Do You Remember?” Christmas in Webb City. Many of us recall when downtown Webb City was a busy place at Christmas time. The sidewalks were full of shoppers, and you knew everyone in town. So, do you remember…?

Do you remember… the decorated windows along Main Street? Do you recall the waving Santa Clause at the Oklahoma Tire & Supply store along with all the shiny bikes and wagons? Did you know that Oklahoma Tire & Supply would even deliver on Christmas Eve? What a special hometown charm.

Do you remember… the Christmas music floating through the air on Main Street, supplied by the Webb City Drive-in Bank, on the northeast corner of Main and Broadway Streets? Can you call to mind the little Santa sleigh with reindeer that sat on top of the drive-in bank?

Do you remember… the smells of Main Street during Christmas time – especially the wonderful smells coming from the Webb City Bakery as Virgil Wright baked his famous cinnamon monkey bread, cinnamon rolls, cakes, pies and fresh dinner rolls? Then if you visited the Minerva Candy Co., you would get a big whiff of chocolate as you walked through the door. In a 1943 ad for the Minerva, they advertised for help saying, “Wanted – boys or girls to help make candy at the Minerva. Another ad in 1942 posted the prices at the Minerva – Ribbon, Taffy, and Cut Rock 20 cents a pound, Peanut brittle, 25 cents a pound. Great prices!

Do you remember… Santa Claus sitting in The Hub waiting for the children to come sit on his lap and whisper what they wanted for Christmas?

Do you remember… the Christmas lights draped across Main Street with a wreath, Santa Claus, candy cane or lighted tree hanging in the center of each string of lights?

Do you remember… going out as a family to cut your own Christmas tree? Well, if your family wasn’t that adventurous, do you recall that you could buy your Christmas tree on Main Street of Webb City? The grocery stores always had Christmas trees lined up in front. The smell of fresh cut trees filled the air.

Do you remember… free Christmas movies and occasionally gifts for select children at the Civic, the Dickinson and the Junior. If not for those gifts, some children might not have had a Christmas gift at all.

Do you remember… when Webb City had a dime store? How about two… the Kress and Ben Franklin. What a great place to buy Christmas gifts, candy, decorations and gift wrapping. There will never be such excitement in a small child’s life like walking into a dime store.

Do you remember… the excitement of Parade night? All the stores were decorated and they stayed open on parade night to add to the holiday atmosphere. Along with the lighted floats and the excitement of Santa calling out “Ho Ho Ho!”

Do you remember… the most exciting memory of downtown Webb City, the Christmas tree in the middle of the intersection of Broadway and Main Street? The year was 1958, and it was a 27-foot tree donated by R.H. Prigg and put up by the Junior Chamber of Commerce. It was impossible to see around the tree to know what the traffic was doing, so Police Officer Leo Romero took on the challenge of being the Christmas traffic cop. He directed the city folk around that tree and called out greetings to those who passed by. It was a fun job until the weather got too cold or wet. But for the most part, Romero had a good time. It seemed as if that tree was there for many years, but in reality it was just that one year. But what a great memory it is!

Do you remember… the small-town charm of having store employees being able to recognize children and letting their parents know what the children said they wanted for Christmas while shopping with friends?

Do you remember… Christmas carolers walking down Main Street sharing the Christmas spirit with their voices? It added to the overall Christmas feeling of seeing friends, walking among the Christmas lights and going in and out of stores, and sharing the holiday feeling with each person you met along the way.

I know these memories are of the past. We still need to make new memories that bring the family together – the community together.

Shout out a greeting to friends you see. Consider taking your family out caroling.

Make new memories and share the old memories. Just enjoy the holidays.