Christmas in Garberville Circa 1907

public interest

“When Friends Meet Hearts Warm” reads the mantle in this undated photo from the Palmquist collection in HSU’s Humboldt Room

Nuggets of old news served up once a week by David Heller, one of our local historians.

Christmas was a community wide event in many communities in the old days. In 1907 Garberville celebrated with a Christmas Eve program of song and recitation by the children of the town, a play, and additional singing. On Christmas night there was a masked ball, with contests for prizes (portraying minorities was not frowned upon in 1907). The most likely location for such celebrations would have been the one year old Pythian building, shown below as the white building at the end of the street. In an era without radio, television, or internet, a lot of work and preparation went into these creative Christmas celebrations that served to knit the community together.
Odd Old New wishes you all a warm holiday season!

public information

Street scene in Garberville from an undated photo in the Swandlund-Baker collection at HSU’s Humboldt Room

HUMBOLDT STANDARD

December 30, 1907

GARBERVILLE

Garberville, Dec. 26.—On Christmas eve a Christmas tree was arranged for the children. The following program was rendered by the children: Recitation, Florence Atwell; recitation, Idol Parker; song, “Go to the Manger”, Jessie Robertson, Clark Robertson, Florence Atwell, Bessie Atwell, Beatrice Hurlbutt, Idol Parker, Lloyd Davis, Frank Davis, Benton Reed.

This was followed by the Mother Goose play in which the following characters took part: Mother goose, Dolly Davis; Nursery Ann, Laura Miller; Gertie, Bessie Atwell; Peter Piper, Clark Robertson; Simple Simon, Elmon Parker; Wee Willie Winkle, Frank Davis; Sword Boy, Lloyd Davis; Little Boy Blue, Idol Parker; Little Bopeep, Florence Atwell; Mistress Mary, Jessie Robertson; Little Miss Muffet, Beatrice Hurlbutt; Jack Horner, Joe Hull; Tom tucker, Benton Reed; Santa Claus, Albert Hull.

When called on for a song Tom Tucker sang the beautiful hymn “Joy Bells”. Anther song was “No Kris No Christmas”, by Bessie Atwell, Florence Atwell, Jessie Robertson, Clark Robertson, Beatrice Hurlbutt, Elmon Parker, Benton Reed. Florence Atwell presided at the organ.

On the night of December 25 there was a mask ball in which many were in mask and at 10:30 prizes were awarded to the following: Best gentleman dancer, Charlie Harris, a set of military brushes; best lady dancer, Pearl Cyphers; a shell back comb; next best lady dancer, Lydia Cyphers, a handkerchief, best dressed lady in costume, (Queen of Clubs), Winnie Gayetty, a box of perfume; next best dressed lady in costume, (Popcorn Girl), Nora Cruickshanks, a box of writing paper; best sustained gentleman character (Indian), W. H. Morrison, a pair of suspenders; best sustained character lady, (a negro nurse), Hazel Stone, a box of candy; next best sustained character (dutch woman), Bob Robertson, box of gold dust; comic costume (Fat Boy), Fred Accosta, a stick pin; booby prize, Jesse Teel, a musical clown.

The judges declared it was hard to decide which characters were best, for among the others there were Gus Schwitzer and Leon Parker as clowns; Ralph Cowen, as Happy Hooligan; Albert Hull as a Negro; Elmon Parker, as a Chinaman; Harry Stone as a doctor, Laura Miller, as Merry Christmas, and many others.

Earlier Odd and Old News:

There are many more, but here are the most recent:

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Willie Caos-mayham
Guest
4 years ago

🕯🌳Good morning Kelley these are always great reads,thank you. 🎅☃️👍🏽

road weary
Guest
road weary
4 years ago

Anyone know if the Swithenbank on the sign in the photo is an ancestor of retired local Sheriff Deputy, Kenny Swithenbank?

Kym Kemp
Admin
4 years ago
Reply to  road weary

The Swithenbanks are an old family around here. And Kenny is one of that family.

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Kenny’s great grandfather, Charles Swithenbank rented the first floor of this McMillin Hotel and ran a general merchandise store.

Billy Casomorphin
Guest
Billy Casomorphin
4 years ago

Wow. Garberville still looks just like that!

Happy Holidays!

Older than some
Guest
Older than some
4 years ago

Most things were more expensive relative to income so few casually tossed stuff out. And, for people far away from cities, sometimes simply not available at all. I’m old enough to have seen a “rags, bottles and bones” collector with his horse drawn wagon on a visit to Baltimore. There was little trash around the streets of even big cities. Clothes were mended, passed down. When they got too thin or damaged for that, they were quilts, pot holders and finally rags for cleaning. Mending and sewing were taught in school for girls. Shop – auto and wood and welding- for boys.

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago

Frugality is the ultimate ‘Green-ness’.

Bug on a Windshield
Guest
Bug on a Windshield
4 years ago

I hope Santa found a way around that blazing fireplace and chimney. It looks like he would’ve been welcome.

It's me
Guest
It's me
4 years ago

Of the names here I only recognize one, Idol Parker I was introduced to him in Garberville when I was eleven years old in 1974. I remember seeing him a half dozen times after that he was always super nice to me and always remembered my name. Old time Indian family I’m glad to have known some of them

Yeah,sure
Guest
Yeah,sure
4 years ago
Reply to  It's me

I think he was living in Alderpoint around that time.

Cattle Great 🐂💨🐽
Guest
Cattle Great 🐂💨🐽
4 years ago

And if you were bad you got a stocking full of cow dung .💩😋

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago

With a number of coal veins in a short radius of Garberville, other stocking ‘stuffing’ options were readily available as well.

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
Ernie Branscomb
4 years ago

WOW!
David did this post just for me. I knew most all of these names, and know many many stories about most all of them. I was quite surprised to not see the Thomas’s name in there. They must have been out of town that day. The names listed were long-time resident families, what we used to call “Generational Natives”

The Parker’s descendants still live here. Also, Kenny Swithenbank still lives here.

I knew Idol Parker. My cousin told me a story about when Idol was a kid, he used to have a job on the stage coach. He would run ahead to open the gates so the horse team wouldn’t have to stop. He would then close the gate and run to catch the coach again. Anyone that has ever driven a team of horses KNOWS that you “Never hollar HO in a hard pull”. ‘Ho” is team talk for “whoa” for you city slickers. It is difficult if not impossible to convince a tired team of horses, that stops for a break, that they need to get going again. I understand that, I’m a lot like that myself.

The “Pythias” Building was built by the “Knights of Pythias”. Most all of the fraternal orders back then would only hold their secret meeting on the top floor of a building. Just like the Masons, Oddfellows. and many others. They had good secrets, and weren’t fond of sharing them with just anyone.

The Knights of Pythias building still stands. They moved it to the corner of Maple Lane and Locust street. The Tobin Hotel was moved from Main street to locust street. It is the two story apartment building behind the Credit Union. (I still can’t call it “Vocality”. Besides, who the hell knows what a Vocality is?) [sorry Pat, we still love you!]

David Heller chewed me out for not commenting lately. I think I hurt his feelings. I read all of his stuff, and enjoy it immensely. It is amazing that someone from Ohio could learn so much about us. I wish that he could have grown up here. Anyone that was born someplace gets to know what none other can ever know. I was fascinated with his stories about the Kent State student shooting by the National Guard, and his stories about the student protests. He knows the feeling of being there like no one else can ever have, or understand.

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
4 years ago

Dang! I made a long and informative (windy) post and I left a silly little digit out of my password. I saw it as it faded away into oblivion. I had hopes that it would make it anyway, but NOPE! Against my better thoughts I will do another reply.

The Real Brian
Guest
The Real Brian
4 years ago

Ernie B.,

I’ll share two ideas that may help you avoid a similar situation in the future.

A) If you ever spend time on a long comment, you can consider copying it before posting. That way if its lost, you can paste it into a new comment easily.

B) If you haven’t copied it as described above, and the comment gets lost, try pressing “back” in your browser. It sometimes will return to your written-comment pre-posting.

I would copy it if it does come back , and then just press the post comment button again. It should post, but if it gets screwy at least you copied it, so you can post it into a new comment.

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  The Real Brian

Thank you Brian
I usually do all my comments in a word processor then paste into the comment, but every now and again I do something stupid. I waited thinking that it might show up on review, as I see that it did after I reposted. I try not to look too dumb, but it doesn’t work well for me. Thanks again.

Kym Kemp
Admin
4 years ago

Hey, don’t talk mean about somebody I like so much…

The Real Brian
Guest
The Real Brian
4 years ago

Yeah, there are some fun glitches we live with around here.

The Glitch who stole Christmas.

(A Dr. Suess/Wachowskis collaberation.)

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
4 years ago

I think that David made this post just for me. I knew who most all of the people listed here. I didn’t see the Thomas’s listed anywhere, they must have been out of town.

I knew Idol Parker. He has relatives that still live here, and his ancestors went back to the beginning of time, as they say. My cousin also knew Idol Parker, and he had a story that he liked to tell about him.

When Idol was a young man he had a job on the stage coach. As the coach would approach a gate he would run ahead to open the gate so the team of horses did not have to stop. “Never holler HO in a hard pull”, as the saying goes. To you city slickers, that have never driven a team of horses, HO means “whoa”. Then he would run to catch the stage again. Once a team of tired horses stop it’s hard to get then going again. I understand that. I’m a lot like that myself…

The Pythias building was built By the ‘knights of Pythias’. Most all the men back then belonged to a fraternal organization. Other organizations of the time were the Masons, the Oddfellows, and others. They always met on the second floor, because they didn’t want anyone eavesdropping on their meetings. They had great secrets and they didn’t want to share them. Imagine that.

The Knights of Pythias building was moved from main street to the corner of Maple Lane and Locust Street, and it still stands. The Tobin Hotel was moved from Main Street to Locust street behind the Credit Union. (I still can’t bring myself to call it “Vocality” Sorry pat, we still love you though!

Thanks again for these stories!

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago

Always good to hear from you Ernie.

Ben
Guest
Ben
4 years ago

Seem to remember that Idol Parker had a place way out on Long Ridge..

Dave Sky
Guest
Dave Sky
4 years ago

Yes, the Parker homestead is/was out on Long Ridge. In the 50’s Don and Gladys used horse back to get to their first homestead in the Middle Fork Yolla Bolly. Later Don inherited and when the two boys were born they moved over to the Long Ridge property. Don ran cattle and a timber Mill along the Eel River inside the basin down by Bluff Creek. I used to ride horse with Don in the 90’s down throughout the basin and along with Judge Andy Burgess do camp coffee in the snow. They’d share their pasts of being young kids during WW1, the Great Depression, WW2 and the weed boom of the 1980’s.

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago
Reply to  Dave Sky

Lucky you!