You may be having most of your vacation packages delivered to your door this season, but let’s go up into a Christmas vacation time of the past to understand how shopping downtown has changed and stayed the same. The year of our attend may be revealed at the end of our journey. A film campaign appeared on the front section of the Regular Eagle, Dec. 3 to proclaim just 19 more time for Christmas shopping.
Retailers along Main Street were advertising Christmas items such as walnuts, cherries, dates, and grapes, as well as components for bread suet pies and fruit cakes. Zink’s food ad offered birds, ducks, birds or animals — LIVE or dressed. There were also the Lancaster Sanitary Fish, Fruit & Poultry Market on West Main, and the Mauger Fish Market on East Main.
Florists ‘ ads were reminding customers about Christmas plants and innovations, and to” Anger the Christmas Excitement with the Peace of Gorgeous Flowers”. Benadum’s Florist and the Quality Flower Shop were proper city. The Trimble & Oppeneer Greenhouse ( 809 E. Wheeling ) was a proud member of the Florists ‘ Telegraph Delivery and able to “deliver flowers in 2 hours ‘ time any place in the U. S. or Canada”.
Audio businesses ‘ advertisements were stressing the pleasure music brings to the breaks. Kane’s Music Store ( 213 S. Broad ) was encouraging the purchase of a player- piano for Christmas. ” It brings you the best piano music without years of study…” J. C. Welton & Co. ( 127 S. Broad ) was featuring Victrolas, and E. A. Young & Co. ( 109 N. Columbus ) said he offered” Just what you want, whether it be a deluxe console model Brunswick phonograph or an inexpensive table model”.
Three craftsmen were located right city: Harry Boving, Albert Wendel, and E. B. O. Smith. All included” classy” advertisements suggesting jewelry was the best present for women. For men the L. E. Huddle Co. ( 212- 218 W. Main ) stated:” There is no gift you can buy that delivers as much benefit, comfort and happiness as an automobile…Let us explain to you how easy it is to buy one”. Huddle even suggested:” Your nice car will appreciate a small gift and — this is a secret — you get the benefit of whatever you give it…Look to us for the latest tested and proven jewelry “.At least 10 shops were located downtown giving men’s apparel and furniture: Robert L. Benua Co., Highland & Fricker, HUB Clothing, Liberal Credit Clothing Co., Joe Mattox, Gerhard Miller & Co., Peter Miller’s Sons, Mondhank & Mills, U. S. Army Store, and Work & Briner. For the ladies that were: Hickle Co., Kessel’s Fashion Shop, McFee & Miller, Rothbardt’s, C. P. Thimmes & Co., and Charles P. Wiseman & Co.
The Syndicate was a department store for the entire community. Two things of particular note: Santa Claus arrived at The Consortium on Dec. 15 and stayed until Christmas to join the babies of Lancaster. Peter Miller’s Sons was the oldest clothes company at the time. Yes, there were hat shops, shoe stores, pharmacies, furniture stores and hardware stores in addition to other” specialty” shops that were n’t mentioned.
Except for Christmas trees at Wacker’s Grocery ( 300 N. Columbus ), few advertisements listed prices. Each of Wacker’s plants cost 35 to 75 percent, and if taken with you, they cost 10 cent less. Additionally, Christmas trees were being offered for purchase at Keller’s Quality Shop ( 121 W. Main ), E. H. Binninger Sons ( 201- 05 S. Columbus ), and the Market House stand of Ed Littrell.
It’s interesting to note that on Christmas Day, the Lancaster Post Office stopped delivering remote message for the first time in its history. On Christmas Day ( 22 December Daily Eagle ), the city mail carriers did, however, continue to deliver one package. ( 26 December Daily Eagle )” Several of the Main St. restaurants were closed Christmas all day, something that never happened before.” Yes, there was snow. According to the Daily Eagle’s 26 December article,” A white Christmas dawned upon us yesterday which came as a wonderful surprise but was welcomed by virtually everyone …but the frost had on all disappeared by night.” And you inquire as to what year it was. It was 1923, which is 100 years before.
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