CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Each year as Christmas approaches, I find my mind fills with childhood memories more so than at any other time of the year.  I remember the downtown Algona of my youth with many beautiful holiday displays in the windows.  At that time, we had a JC Penney store, S & L Department store, Harrison’s Variety store, and many others.  I loved walking with my mom as she did errands.  She probably did not enjoy it half as much as I did as she would often have to hurry me along as I drug my feet, stopping to press my nose up to each window to get a better look. 

Of course there was the visit to “Santa’s House” each year.  We would wait with excitement to see Santa come to town on the firetruck.  He would alight at the southwest corner of the courthouse lawn and enter a festively decorated wooden shelter erected especially for his visits each year.  The line to see him would stretch down the whole block.  I don’t know if it was the cold or the anticipation that made us antsy, but it seemed to take FOREVER to finally reach the jolly old man.  I don’t remember any of the requests I made to him over the years but I will never forget the brown paper sack filled with hard Christmas candy and peanuts in the shell that we received each year.

There was one store that we had to stop in every year whether we had anything to buy there or not.  The Chrischilles Store was one of the anchors of the downtown at any season, but the store was always beautifully decorated for the Christmas holidays.  The display windows had an eye catching theme each year and a very large Christmas tree adorned with tinsel and ornaments was usually located on the upper floor.  I can remember standing in awe gazing at the tree towering over me and thinking I had never seen anything more beautiful.

I am pleased that the children of Ted Chrischilles have generously allowed me to share with you some photos of the store during the holidays in the 1940s and 1950s.  These are almost all before my time (my childhood memories mostly are of the 1960s) but the photos nevertheless remind me of a more innocent time when a Christmas visit to a local store could bring such joy into my young life.  I hope you will enjoy the photos as much as I do and that they bring back a few memories for you as well.

Chrischilles Store Main Floor 1948

Christmas Tree 1948

Main floor 1952

Christmas Tree 1955

Christmas 1958

The last photo above shows the staff gathered in front of the tree.  Left to right in the back row are Twila Bartholomew, Mildred Hernan, Florence Peterson, Rose Scanlon, Isabelle Koepke, Dorothy Reiken, Marie Dutton, and Leola Zeigler.  Middle row is T.H., Jack and Ted Chrischilles.  Sitting in front are Marie Hogan, Mildred Miller, Ruth Garman, Alene Hemphill (a/k/a Hempie) and Minnie Blinkman.  

A big thank you to Ted's children, Kathy, Julie and Gene, for allowing me to share these photos with you.  I hope they bring back wonderful Christmas memories for each of my readers.

Until next time,

Merry Christmas!

Jean (a/k/a Kossuth County History Buff)

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