Let's Talk Wyoming - The Warmth of Christmas: Celebrating Seasonal Generosity, Heartfelt Stories, and Wyoming's Holiday History

As the snowflakes gently dance outside the window, I find myself reminiscing about the quintessential joys of Christmas, shaped by acts of kindness that echo through time. Join me, Mark Hamilton, on this heartwarming journey as we revisit tales of generosity that have glimmered brightly through the darkest of times, shared by the souls featured in Reader's Digest. From a Depression-era mailman's unexpected gift to a mechanic's hidden kindness beneath the hood of a teacher's car, these stories are more than just anecdotes – they're a testament to the spirit of the season and the enduring power of human connection.

Amid the jingle of bells and the rustle of wrapping paper, we'll also turn the pages to a Christmas past in Territorial Wyoming, where the 1870s festivities set the stage for a legacy of community and celebration. With a narrative that intertwines the biblical tale of Jesus' birth with the historical accounts of Wyoming's first Christmas tree and grand military balls, we grasp the unchanging essence of the holiday as it has woven itself into the fabric of our shared heritage. So, pour yourself some hot cocoa, settle into your favorite chair, and let's revel in the stories that illuminate the true meaning of Christmas – a time for joy, for celebration, and above all, for giving.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:18

Good morning and welcome to let's Talk Wyoming. I'm Mark Hamilton, your host, and today we'll be taking a look at our weather. Maybe we won't have a white Christmas compared to what we had last year. We'll take a look at some Christmas stories from the past. We'll reminisce about Christmas. We'll talk about the Christmas story. We're going to do a lot of Christmas today and today's show is actually part of an encore from our Christmas show last year. We hope you enjoy it. We want to make sure we wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year getting into 2024.

Speaker 1: 1:00

Taking a look at warm and weather here on the 19th day of December Right now it's definitely not white out 50 degrees, just beautiful weather for the month of December I see coming up. On Saturday we have a chance of rain during the day 30 percent then overnight rain and snow Turning to snow on Sunday. But Christmas Day looks 34 for a high and doesn't seem much more. I've got my chains all the forecasters saying hold on, wait until we get a little closer into the weekend to see what develops. But right now it may be a marginal white Christmas here in the state of Wyoming, just depending on where you are and where the storm hits.

Speaker 1: 1:44

Today we're going to turn to Reader's Digest, always my favorite source for stories, and these are four different stories talking about Christmas time. Our first story is the postman lifted us up from depression. My parents, at the height of the depression, were forced to go on home relief, which is known today as welfare. It was 1935 when I was 10 years old and we lived on the first floor of a walk-up apartment on 43rd Street in Brooklyn, new York. A few days before Christmas, I looked out a kitchen window to see my father sitting on the stoop. He checked in and, depressed, with tears in his eyes, the mailman was approaching our building and asked my father what was wrong. I heard my father say that he had used up his food vouchers and that the rent was passed due. He had tried to work as a laborer through the Works Progress Administration, but he wasn't a very strong man and the work had been too hard for him. I was scared, having seen newspaper pictures of people being put out on the streets with all their belongings. Ike, how much do you need, mailman asked. My dad said he needed $33 for rent and, without hesitation, the mailman took $50 from his wallet and handed it to my father. My dad said I don't know what or when I'll be able to pay this back. The mailman put an arm around my father and said it would be okay if he paid him back or he didn't pay him back. The mailman noticed me looking through the window and said Isaac, things will not be this way forever. If you or your son will remember this day, there will be times in the future when someone else may need help. Help them within your means and tell them what happened this day. This will be my merry Christmas. This will be my payback. Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah. As long as he lived and my father helped others when he could, I have done my best to do my part in paying his generosity back. He fixed my car on my Christmas In 1958. I was a first-year high school teacher in Bady Nevada.

Speaker 1: 4:01

On December 22nd I headed home to Idaho in my 1951 Hudson to spend Christmas with my parents. Just south of Fillmore, utah, a radio was broke and the car started to overheat. I hitchhiked into Fillmore and got a ride to a Chevron station. I explained my plight to the owner, dan Brinkerhoff, who sent a tow truck to bring in my car. Dan discovered that the engine had become so hot it had warped the head. So he called to a nearby wrecking yard and found the needed part. I boarded a Greyhound bus, bought the part and then caught a return bus to Fillmore. By that time it was dark and Dan had closed the station. He immediately went to work on my car, laboring for several hours while I slept curled up in the back seat. Finally he woke me up and announced I was ready to go. When I went to settle up you wouldn't take a dime for anything he had done. I got to spend the holidays with my parents and I still shall forever remember Dan for the wonderful thing he did for me.

Speaker 1: 5:04

I joined the Army on December 15th of 1959. When I was 17. Five days later I had the choice of going home for Christmas or staying at Fort Carson, colorado, and pulling capoe duty for 15 days. A fellow recruit and I wanted to go home, but he didn't have enough money for bus fare, so we decided to hitchhike some 1100 miles to San Antonio, texas. From there we could get bus tickets home. He was going to Navarro Laredo, Mexico, and I was going to Aranis, past Texas.

Speaker 1: 5:38

That first day we got as far as Trinidad, colorado, where we spent the night drinking coffee in a small cafe. The next day and night we went all the way to Amarillo, texas, in a semi tractor rig. From there we had to walk across town to where we could hitchhike. It was late afternoon and we were getting hungrier and colder. On top of that, it had started to snow. Our chances of getting a ride out of town were getting mighty slim.

Speaker 1: 6:03

Then our saving angel came by in a BW bug, offering us a ride all the way to San Antonio. In the bug were the young driver, his wife and infant, a toddler and a big shaggy dog. The backseat had been removed to accommodate a sort of bed, with the dad and two tired, cold, hungry young soldiers in the front seat. We were going home for Christmas. This family went out of his way to help us, buying us dinner and breakfast. They not only took us to the bus station, they even paid for our tickets. I will forever remember those people and their kindness. May God bless them. And finally, our community came through.

Speaker 1: 6:44

In December of 1963, my father gathered my two younger sisters and me together and told us he couldn't afford to give us any presents that year, not even our traditional treats of nuts, apples, oranges, tangerines and chocolates. My mother had had a stroke the year before and was constantly going to the hospital, so there's no money for Christmas. On Christmas Eve we heard an knock on the door. Two ladies came in and gave us new coats along with some holiday treats Our neighbors across the street. I told her church, our situation and that people at congregation wanted to help. I will never forget our kind neighbor. There's four stories reflecting the heart of people and how willing they are to help those in need, something that we need to continue carrying on in our future years.

Speaker 1: 7:39

Christmas has always been a special time for me In my life. I can remember as a youngster I was the youngest of three and we would go up every year and to Graskirk, which was outside of Worland, over there Matizzi and in that country up in the mountains Mountainous area. There were a lot of beautiful Christmas trees there and we would go up and cut trees. We always had just a gorgeous Christmas tree every year. I can remember those distinctly, just that fun of going up and cutting the tree. It seemed like there was always snow on the ground and it was quite an adventure to get over there and get back and get the tree up well decorated Just that lead up to Christmas. I can remember in grade school and those years that we always had our music performances and it was really a festive time. Everybody really was look forward to Christmas and we had a long Christmas vacation. As you got older that you really enjoyed that Christmas vacation and I can remember waiting and wondering what Santa was going to bring that year. And I guess that when you get a little bit older that Santa doesn't bring you presents, that that's only for the younger kids, and so that was always a little bit of a disappointment. But our Christmases were just a grand time. We always had a festive meal and I was for some reason.

Speaker 1: 9:01

I can remember as a youngster that I guess I wanted to be a minister. After we'd went to church that night We'd always go to the candlelight service. At that time you could burn your candle. You didn't have to put it out like you have to, so we would light the candle and it was always a competition to get that lit candle home all the way from church to the house and that was always a rather an adventure to see if I could beat my sister and get that candle lit candle back to the house and we always had hot chocolate and cookies and different things, and it was always that time of year that you just wanted to be thankful for everything that you had.

Speaker 1: 9:39

And as you got older, when you started having your own family, it was always fun for your kids to be able to put stuff out for them for Santa Claus and have to worry about the night before of putting stuff together. And, of course, I had girls and they had a lot of different doll houses and different things that were really hard to put together. It took quite a while to get everything together. Of course you have to hide all this stuff, but those were. That's what Christmas was remembrance of Christmas, of how special those times are, and I hope that everyone on the podcast that celebrates Christmas that they have the same memories, that they can continue on with those memories or maybe start some new memories with your families at this special time of year, the day that baby Jesus was born, christ came into this world, and it is definitely a joyous season for myself and my family. Christmas, christmas of the past We'll never forget.

Speaker 1: 10:32

And reading from Matthew, I wanted to share this, and this is from Matthew 18. And this is the birth of Jesus Christ. This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother, mary, was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what she is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said to the prophet. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son and he gave him the name Jesus.

Speaker 1: 11:43

And there were shepherds living in the fields nearby keeping watch over their flocks. At night, an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord, and this will be assigned to you. You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in an angel. Suddenly, a great company of heavenly hosts appeared, with the angels praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to men, on whom his favor rests. When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby. He was lying in a manger and they had seen him. They spread the word concerning what they had been told about them, about this child, and all heard it, were amazed at what the shepherds said to them, and Mary treasured up all those things and pondered them in her heart. When the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they have heard and seen, was they are sure they have been told. And finally, today in our history section we take a look at an article from Wild History dot org. Wyoming Christmas Territorial Style, by Phil Roberts.

Speaker 1: 13:18

Christmas was celebrated in Territorial Wyoming much like it is today, with family dinners, parties, church services and school programs. Festive occasions were reported in the newspapers of the time and press accounts revealed some of the interesting ones. In Cheyenne in 1877, the ladies of the African Methodist Church cooked a Christmas dinner for church members and friends. About 250 presents hung upon the tree. The newspaper item reported the Presbyterian Sabbath School in Cheyenne elected new officers for the coming year. According to the same 1877 Cheyenne newspaper, elected Secretary-Treasurer was Photographer Banker DD Dare, who several years later fled to the Near East after two banks in which he had an interest failed. The Evanston newspaper mentioned a Christmas present given to the local judge. It was a magnificent gold cane. The judge told the Evanston editor it's hard to tell just how merry Christmas was at the Fort Laramie in 1877.

Speaker 1: 14:20

One writer in a letter to the editor wrote Good old Christmas was fit and leased celebrated in the Fort Laramie. Every window in the post was brilliantly illuminated with dozens candles each. The quarters were decorated with evergreen, wine flowed freely and many a hearty toast was drunk to the happiness of old friends. A second letter several days later offered a different view. Being the brief but improper item in your column about Christmas at Fort Laramie, the would-be correspondent gives not only an improper description but a selfish account of the whole affair. But few evergreens were seen, the only being in the band quarters. The tree was nine inches high and placed on a bunk and was decorated by an old cigar stump. Our would-be correspondent does not for an instant speak of the quality of the wine which flowed so freely. I have not least doubt that some of that wine is flowing.

Speaker 1: 15:12

Yet there was less debate on the festivities at Laramie. That year the Wayneless Hose Company, apparently a firefighting brigade, sponsored a grand ball at a hotel Christmas night. Near present-day Newcastle prospectors celebrated Christmas with the news of an oil strike close to Jenny's Stockade. In 1879, newspaper reported festivities near Lander. The Fifth Calvary held a grand military ball on Christmas Eve. The newspaper later added that Lander was well represented by the fair On Christmas Day 1878, a huge Christmas tree decorated with glittering tensiles and golden winged images highlighted the program.

Speaker 1: 15:52

At Fort Waschke, the Indian agency near Lander Presence were handed out by Santa Claus, who sprang out in his suit of fur and robes. After the gifts were presented, all assembled again and listened to the reading of the sermon by the agent. The Christmas tree at Lander was not the first one raised in Wyoming. 19 years earlier in 1858, missionaries at Deer Creek present day Glen Rock chopped down a spruce tree in the nearby hills and decorated it. That evening they entertained members of Captain W F Reynolds' topographical expedition and Indians with violin music, bible readings and German Christmas carols.

Speaker 1: 16:30

The Christmas tree was a standard part of celebrations in the 1870s.

Speaker 1: 16:34

Residents of Rock Springs held the Christmas party at their one-room schoolhouse in 1878.

Speaker 1: 16:40

The Christmas tree was decorated with cranberries and popcorn strung by the school children. According to one account, gifts were distributed Occasionally. Some old, hardened sinner crossed the inner seat at the rear of the building, would be startled and surprised when Santa Claus called him by his name and announced in ringing tones a gift for that man. When the child acting as Santa's messengers carried the prize to him, his old eyes with moistened and often tears were trickled down his cheek. The knowledge that someone carried for him enough to manifest it with a token of remembrance affected him and, in the 21st century, children of all ages in Wyoming still look forward to Santa's visit Another outstanding story from wildhistoryorg and it's amazing looking back through the years, we were talking about the Christmas and the Christmas celebrations and the Christmas trees, and we still carry that on here to 2022. And we'd like to take this opportunity for all of our listeners for let's Talk Wyoming. Wherever you are here in the US or across the world, we want to wish you all a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Speaker 2: 18:11

Children. Mother and child, holy infant, so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, holy night. Shepherds quake at the sight, Glory screams from heaven above. Heavenly hosts sing alleluia. Christ the Savior is born. Christ, the Savior is born, christ. Oh man, day that you were born, they said you were the Son of God, and the wise men came and said it to you that, oh my God, the story is true. Then you came here to set us free from all the pain and misery. You made the moon and the stars above and you sealed it all with your precious love. I just wanna thank you, jesus. I just wanna thank you, lord. Send us your radiant light on this silent night. Holy night, holy story. Holy story. Holy story. Holy story. Mother and child. Mother and child. Mother and child. I think that I'm still in heaven. I think that I'm still in heaven. I'm still in heaven. I'm still in heaven.

Speaker 1: 21:12

Thanks for joining us today and we hope you enjoy our podcast. As per the code of the west, we ride for the brand and we ride for Wyoming. We are the brand and we ride for Wyoming. Come on, come on, come on you.