Photo: Santa and Mrs. Claus waved at photographer Steve Barrett when they made it safely to the Christmas Parade in Waynesburg without running out of gas. Credit: Barrett’s photo ran in the Herald-Standard in December 2012.
No matter what year it happens, when it comes to the annual Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade, it’s all about Santa.
Thanks to Bonnie Kiger, volunteer researcher extraordinaire at Cornerstone Genealogical Society, today’s Greene County Chamber of Commerce has a binder full of tidbits about Christmas Parades past, copied from microfilm and newspaper clippings the genealogical society has on file. Fresh from this year’s first Reverse Parade at the Greene County Fairgrounds, director Melody Longstreth is happy to share the wild adventures Santa had back in 1938 and 1939 when he and the Christmas Parade first started coming to Waynesburg to meet all the good little girls and boys.
The first year, 1938, made regional headlines when Santa ran out of gas.
The Gettysburg Times quipped: “Santa traded his reindeer for a truck in a Christmas parade here – to his sorrow.”
The crowds that lined the parade route that first year were like nothing seen today. “Seven thousand showed up!” Melody marvels.
Nor was the route – the 75 plus flotilla of floats, fire trucks, cars and of course Santa “in all his splendor” started at North West Street, move west on High Street to Stewarts Service Station, through Waynesburg to Morrisville, turn at the “island” back along Greene Street to Richhill Street and back to the courthouse. The Waynesburg and Richhill Township high school bands were there but by all accounts limited their performance to a concert in front of the courthouse.
Somewhere in the vicinity of East Greene Street, Santa’s large open truck ran out of gas and had to stop for a quick fill up before making it back to the courthouse to read all the letters the kids had waiting for him.
According to the Gettysburg Times: “He arrived late at the courthouse to jot down “kiddies” Yuletide requests and add one of his own – for more gas next time.”
Not to be outdone, the parade of 1939 had Santa coming down from the sky in an airplane and dropping letters on all who gathered to greet him on November 27. (The weather reportedly was as cold as late December.) Then a parade with all the fixings, including “Mummers, Scouts, 13 Greene County horsemen in the line of march” along with high school bands playing on the courthouse steps. The most elaborate floats sponsored by local merchants reflected what was hot in Hollywood – Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Good Ship Lollipop. By late afternoon Santa was enthroned at the courthouse and hundreds of mothers and fathers were caught in the crush to get their offspring close enough to greet St. Nick and get some of the goodies being given – story books, cookies, candy and popcorn.
Fast forward to a time better remembered by the rest of us. It’s 2012 and Santa is back and he has Mrs. Claus with him. They’re riding in style to the Courthouse, surrounded by floats, marching bands and everything else that has made the Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade the place to be and see since 1938. And there will be kids holding letters when he gets there, many of them asking for the hottest toys to be had that year. Those kids are now eight years older now and I wonder how many of them remember what they asked Santa for that year? (Was it by any chance a Furby? Or the Hulk?)
If any of you remember, please let us know!
