Christmas memories in Waco
By Terri Jo Ryan Special to the Tribune-Herald
View photo gallery
The Christmas season has had a festive focus for Waco residents for decades of its 160-year history
In the 1890s, for example, the founders of what is now known as the Methodist Children’s Home used the Christmas season, a time of celebrating familial bonds, as the prime opportunity to raise operational funds for the orphanage from Methodists across the state of Texas.
In the early 20th century, with the advent of new technology, radio entrepreneur Fred P. Jackson of Waco made Texas broadcast history on Christmas Eve in 1924 by sharing the Midnight Mass from downtown Waco’s St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church with the listeners of WJAD-AM (later known as WACO). Fan mail came from all parts of North America from radio hobbyists able to catch the signal.
For the first half of the century, many Wacoans delighted in the annual decorations at Santa’s Workshop at the entrance to Cameron Park and themed displays at Sears, Montgomery Ward’s and Goldstein Migel’s.
Children of the 1940s may recall seeing local puppeteers Doris Goodrich Jones and Grace Gooda perform at stores in Waco and Dallas from Thanksgiving until Christmas, 1942 through 1944, as the star attractions in fantasy toylands. The women employed a range of puppetry techniques: hand puppets, rod puppets, marionettes and even shadow puppets in their storytelling.
In the spirit of the season, Brazos Past presents some of the fond memories of Christmases past from the readers of the Tribune-Herald.
tjryan@wacotrib.com
757-5746
MORE IN WACO HISTORY: BRAZOS PAST »
Waco History ProjectIn My Opinion
Magazine
New issue!
- Check out June's issue
- Summer swimwear, great teachers, El Conquistador & more
- Link: View the magazine as a virtual flipbook
