Our Valley
Christmas in the Pioneer days
During the valley’s pioneer days, Christmas was celebrated in ways not so different from today with singing carols in a home with family and friends, hanging stockings on the fireplace mantle, eating wonderful meals and attending late night or morning church services.
In addition, the grammar schools were always a source of holiday cheer. On Christmas Eve, many pioneers would gather at the local schools, which also served as community centers.
In old Lancaster, the teachers were usually responsible for setting up the holiday celebrations: “Lancaster School closed for a two week-vacation on Friday, the 20th, Miss Egan, the teacher, leaving for her home in Spadra [Pomona area] on Christmas morning. We owe Miss Egan a vote of thanks for staying with us until after the Christmas Exercises, as she had the training of the little ones and helped us in so many ways, shortening her own vacation to help us. School will commence after the holidays in the new schoolhouse” [on Lancaster Blvd., across the street from the Western Hotel]. Lancaster Gazette (December 28,1889).
At this time, the first school was located in a small
house behind the old blacksmith shop on Sierra Highway; this would be near the site of the present-day east driveway to the AVUHSD offices.
The classroom was decorated with snowy bells, cut flowers and, of course, there was a beautiful Christmas tree decorated with glistening ornaments. It was a night for the children to give recitations and sing carols. The program organizer was school teacher May Egan Casey (1867-1959), who came to Lancaster at the beginning of the second term of the school year (1889-1890).
She boarded for a while at the Lancaster Hotel and then at the A.J. McPhail residence on railroad land at the southeast corner of Sierra Highway and Lancaster Boulevard. Later, she lived with Mrs. Ford, the postmistress, very near the school. Mr. Ford, an architect, was also the preacher at the M.E. Church.
“Miss Egan reports that there are 20 scholars enrolled in public school on the second day of the term.” AV Times (9.5.1889).
“The Christmas tree [ceremony] held at the new schoolhouse in Lancaster, Christmas Eve was a grand success.” Lancaster Gazette (December 28, 1889).
In the “big city of Lancaster,” children and parents did their shopping at the two or three general merchandise stores. One popular store was that of Leo Harris, who opened it in 1909. Located on the southwest corner of Sierra Highway and Lancaster Boulevard, children would stand on tiptoes looking into the cases of toys and dolls of all types or drool over the candy selection — before the popular Jazz Candy Store
came into existence. When the AV Mall opened in 1990, it included an upscale Harris Store. This chain of stores was started by the Harris family in San Bernardino in 1905. For adults who desired a more expensive Christmas present, Harris also acted as a Buick dealer.
However, not every family could afford store merchandise and the simpler homemade items were greatly appreciated during the Christmas season. Here is a section of “The Morton Homestead Diary (Green Valley, 1887 to 1904),” from “The Journal of the West Antelope Valley Historical Society” (1989): “Christmas came. Mary had provided for this and supplied many pretty little things that the children and I never knew she had. Joy that delights the small children, strings of popcorn, candies and lots of small candles to illuminate the tree. I cut a small manzanita tree of fine proportions and mounted it on a board. It proved to be quite a success and as beautiful when decorated. Its pear and pink blossoms helped liven up the effect. Mr. and Mrs. Dowd, they were our nearest neighbors, almost like next door, only two miles from us, were invited to dinner. We often think of this as a very fine Christmas.”
Surprisingly, for a brief period, Southern California residents could receive a very special Lancaster holiday present when The Los Angeles Herald in December 1895 offered:
CHOICE CHRISTMAS GIFT
“Give the son or daughter one of those Herald Lancaster lots. It will not wear out, cannot be broken, and will improve with age. Every subscriber to The Herald is entitled to a lot in the Herald’s subdivision in Lancaster without extra charge above the subscription price of The Herald, except the nominal fee of $1.00 for notary fee and making out the deed. No lot [25x125 feet] is more than half-mile from the railroad, and all in the town site. Have the deed made out in the name of one of those children. It is one of the most sensible holiday presents.”
One can still identify these tiny “Herald Tract” lots near the present-day AV High School centered around Herald Avenue and nearby streets.