StettlerLocal.com December 23, 2021 @ 11:15am
The Stettler Independent printed an article in 1949 outlining Christmas in the community of Stettler in 1906. The article touches on the general breakdown of the population and activities in the then-fledgling community.
The approximately 700 people who resided in the area were predominantly young men and women, with only a few families and enough children to fill one room at a school. There were elders in the community, but a small minority. At the time, the young women had various choices for a possible suitor as two out of three men in Stettler were single.
The leading entertainment that year was public dances. Business owners in the community would host dances as part of their grand opening celebrations to help get people into their new buildings. The gatherings were held identical to barn dances of the time since most of the dances were square.
Churches were the main gathering places for the older crowd. The Methodist Church (which sat where the Royal Bank now sits) was often full. The church building built by the Lutherans (located where the United church now sits) and briefly shared with the Anglicans was a popular place as the Anglicans had purchased a new organ for use in their soon-to-be-finished church and employed it for services at the Lutheran church.
Advertisements in the December 20th issue of the Stettler Independent informed local readers that many of the shops and businesses in the community would be open until midnight on the 22nd and Christmas eve, and New Year's eve.
Christmas Day saw the arrival of a hockey team from Lacombe, and a home team of residents was quickly assembled, most of whom had never handled a hockey stick before. The Stettler team lost the game 8 to 2.
In the community of Maryville, a dance was held at the newly opened hotel owned by Mr. George Dornfield. Approximately 80 people attended the event, which started at 8 pm and went well into the early morning.
Wessington Postmaster Mr. Averill acted as Santa on three different occasions. Mr. Airey of Foreman held a bible class on Christmas morning. Mr. James Baird of Red Willow was noted as attempting to visit friends in the Liberal area but was snowed in for a week.
Mr. Longshore in the Shooting Lake area was noted to have lost 27 head of cattle in snowdrifts. Also, in the Shooting Lake area, one homesteader ran out of coal oil and proceeded to make his candles, using the barrel of his gun as a mould.
Happy Holidays from Our Town Stettler!
Carson Ellis, Local Historian
Our Town Stettler
Comentarios