Snippets of Christmas in Pacific Past and Present

By Pauline Masson –

A tiny working Ferris Wheel – probably inspired by the 1904 World’s Fair – lured shoppers to gather on St. Louis Street and stare at the plate glass window in Alsobrook’s Drug Store in 1925, where it rotated round and round and flashed its Christmas lights through the holiday season.

Bill Hirth, grandson of the man who crafted the two-foot tall wheel with ten passenger seats is dusts it off and turns it on every December for his family Christmas decorations. And it still works.

When the town Christmas tree disappeared from its pedestal that held the  town’s only street light in 1931 a boyhood prank created a Christmas tradition that still exists 93 years later. In Pacific Hometown Christmas has always brought citizens together.

When the missing tree was located on top of Sand Mountain citizens gathered at the base of the bluff to sing carols. The Lions agreed to place a tree ton the bluff top every Christmas, and they still do.

The one-year old Pacific Lions Club took charge of the Christmas Tree that year.

In 1950 when the Queens Daughters conducted a citywide fundraising effort to buy statues to place in the old mining cave halfway up the face of the white sand bluff on Osage Street. Through the years, the Knights of Columbus, volunteer firefighters, Chamber of Commerce and City Public Works Department have helped with the annual display. Recently, pictured above, St. Bridget Men’s has taken charge. This the 74th year for the display.

In 1992, Dan MClain bought an inflatable Mrs. Claus, a snow man, a reindeer and his favorite inflatable of all time, a 20-foot tall nutcracker to set up in his yard on South Payne street. Each year he has added new snowmen, Christmas trees, Santa himself and even a friendly Grnch.  Each day at dusk, they self-inflate, light up and with the help of a small breeze they wave to passers by.

Since 2018, teacher and students have staged and manned rows of Christmas trees in a community wide fundraising event. Visitors are welcome to mill among the trees and offered hot chocolate. Local groups are invited to enter and decorate a tree to raise funds for the work they do. Originally held in middle school track, the event settled into a permanent spot in the school district mini-park opposite Fire Station one. Although I photographed it manytimes, my favvorie pictures was te year it snowed.