With its Santas and colorful lights, a Roaring ‘20s Christmas would look very familiar to people today. With its emphasis on family and community, the holidays brought people together in Olympia and beyond.
Olympia History: Christmas in the 1920s
Downtown Olympia was decorated for the holidays by the Chamber of Commerce in the days after Thanksgiving with greenery and wreaths. Christmas trees lined sidewalks. Later years brought red and green lights.
In the weeks leading up to the holiday, stores tried to attract customers with contests and give-ways. In 1921, the Farmer’s Cash Market, 209 West Fourth Avenue, offered children free Christmas treats. “Let ‘em all come,” manager Nate Trosper told reporters, “We will turn nobody away.” The treats were hung on a Christmas tree.
Generosity brought customers. In 1922 Daylight Bakery, 307 East Fourth Avenue, offered a free “walking” Santa Claus doll wrapped in every loaf of their signature Butter Krust Bread for each child customer on December 23.
Theaters presented special Christmas shows and events. In 1922 the Ray Theater held a children’s Christmas matinee program, screening “Pollyanna” and a short Christmas comedy, “Edgar’s Little Saw.” Holiday music, local performers and an acrobatics show by the Alvord Children of Tacoma rounded out the program.
Selling Christmas trees was becoming a big business in Thurston County. Trees from across the area were even shipped nationally. These trees, from two to 20 feet high, sold anywhere from 50 cents to $20 in eastern and southern cities.
Olympia-Area Outdoor Christmas Tree Decorating Contest
Electric Christmas lights were becoming popular. In 1928 community leaders organized Olympia’s first annual outdoor Christmas tree decorating contest.
Applicants had to live within the Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater area, and display their lights 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. from December 23 to January 1. Categories included best outdoor Christmas tree under 10 feet, best outdoor Christmas tree over 10 feet and a free-for-all best decorated tree for an organization. Organizations included businesses, clubs and churches. To edge out unfair competition, electrical dealers and their families could not enter. 30 participated in the contest and the top three winners were picked by Governor Roland Hartley. Prizes were donated by electrical and hardware stores.
The contest was repeated the next year. Hartley was again one of the judges.
Christmas in the 1920s: Celebrating in Olympia, Washington
The holidays were a time for people to gather. Schools and community groups held holiday events for their members and the public. For example, in 1924 the Puget Sound Power and Light Company organized a children’s party. Decking the Community House Hall in colored lights, 65 children and their parents enjoyed a time for music, dance performances and games. John Moors dressed as Santa shimmied down an improvised chimney to hand out gifts.
Some groups turned holiday events into fundraisers for their work. Many women’s and church groups held bazaars. In 1923, for example, women from Circle No. 1 of the Methodist Church held a Christmas sale at the Puget Sound Power and Light office, offering holiday food, household linens, aprons and more.
During the 1920s, people found many ways to help those in need. Boy Scouts adopted families to give gifts. The Kiwanis hosted children at a holiday dinner. Salvation Army bell-ringers had their kettles on streetcorners. Broken dolls donated to the Red Cross Salvage Shop in 1921 were lovingly restored by Mrs. O.M. Green for the group to give to children in need. In 1922 students from Mrs. Elsie Plemmons’ class at the Plumb Station School made an illustrated Mother Goose storybook for children at St. Peter Hospital. The cover was done up with festive red crepe paper.
Olympia’s fraternal societies, service and civic clubs banded together to create the Community Charity Fund. Groups included the American Legion Auxiliary, Elks Jingle Club, Gyro Club, Active Club, Business and Professional Women’s Club and Red Cross.
They worked together to provide baskets and boxes of items for families in need, packed with clothing, food and children’s toys. People from all walks of life donated money, made jam and baked pies to give away. Stores donated food and other supplies. Dozens of women volunteered to pack items in the basement of the Olympia Public Library.
To help raise money for the project, the Community Charity Fund held an annual Christmas ball and Christmas bazaar/carnival at the American Legion Hall. The events were very popular. Despite stormy weather nearly 300 gathered at the Legion Hall for the 1922 ball. The room was transformed into a winter wonderland with tinseled trees and greenery.
The 1925 bazaar/carnival was even more popular. There were games for the kids and dancing for the adults with live music. The candy booth was decorated in black and white to look like a crossword puzzle, very popular in the 1920s. The Moose Lodge provided hot dogs, cooked by Carl Shahan, a local meat cutter. Homemade holiday gifts were also for sale.
1929 Christmas in Olympia
The roaring 20s came to a sudden end with the stock market crash in 1929. Olympia was plunged into darkness Christmas morning that year when bad weather caused trees to take down high tension lines. Power was restored to the city later in the morning and most rural areas the next. Perhaps it was a sign. For years the Great Depression would be felt in Thurston County, but it couldn’t stop people from celebrating the holidays.
