Remembering Christmas in 1950s Westbrook, Maine

A Nostalgic Christmas in 1950s Westbrook, Maine

It was seventy years ago, but it seems like yesterday. Christmas in Westbrook during the '50s and '60s was special, with the images of the businesses decorated in red and green lights, silver tinsel, and signs announcing holiday sales etched in mind. Carr's Shoe Store, Lafond's, The Men's Shop, Day's Jewelry store, and McLellan's, to name a few.

We knew the owners' names and the people who worked there, but more importantly, they knew us too. We were a community in the real sense of the word.

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The Joy and Excitement of Christmas

Christmas was an exciting time. Children would flip through the clothes section of catalogs to search for the toys and circle everything they would like Santa to bring them for Christmas. A boy might find a Revell car model kit with styrene plastic cement under the tree. And a girl would be able to cook like Mom with a Kenner Easy-Bake oven.

It was a bit costly even in those days, but if you were lucky, Robert the Robot, the first plastic talking robot in America, would be your new holiday friend. Gift lists were neatly folded inside the billfolds and pocketbooks of their parents, who would do their best to buy, wrap, and put them under the tree for Christmas morning. Other less fortunate children didn't even dare to dream of things like that.

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The Other Side of Christmas

One of the sad realities of the holiday is that there are people and families in need of assistance for the essential elements of life—food, clothes, and warmth. It is a problem compounded by their limited ability to buy and give to those they love at a time of year when it is encouraged to do so.

Although there were organizations to help the needy, one prominent local businessman was motivated to do what he could to help Westbrook and surrounding communities. He turned it into a group effort made up of local leaders in business, various companies, and even law enforcement. The goal was to make Christmas a joyous and festive occasion for as many as possible—without publicity.

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The Secret Effort Begins

It would start in November with a list of names gathered from different sources. When it was determined how to assist them best, it would take coordination between the group to collect the items needed. The process would take a few weeks to complete. After that, the only question was how the gifts would get to the locations. The answer was obvious: the group would make the deliveries themselves.

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A City Alive with the Holiday Spirit

As the holiday approached—as the song says—the feeling of Christmas was in the air. People seemed to be happier and a little more courteous to one another.

Harry Sproul, wearing a hat with flaps covering his ears, stood in front of McLellan's in the snow and cold, ringing a bell to get donations for the Salvation Army bucket.

The flurry of last-minute shoppers would descend upon the businesses. Kids would take the money they saved and buy their mother a little blue bottle of "Evening in Paris" cologne. Some fathers would get a small plastic trophy that came with peel-off stickers with one that said—"World's Greatest Dad."

If all else failed, a box of Whitman's Sampler Chocolates from Valle's or Paine's Pharmacy would complete the Christmas shopping.

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Christmas Eve Traditions

After closing on Christmas Eve—some at 3:30 PM—it was time to be with family and friends, keeping old traditions and starting new ones. You had to be sure you had what you needed because the city would close up shop. If you forgot something, your next opportunity would be December 26th.

At dusk, cars loaded with gifts would start the drive to make someone's Christmas a little brighter. Each driver had a list of names, addresses, and presents to drop off. They would stop in front of the home or apartment, place gifts on the porch, ring the doorbell, knock on the door and then leave. They were not there long enough to say Merry Christmas. The only glimpse that the people saw was of figures in the dark driving away.

The same thing would happen in other cities besides Westbrook like Gorham, Buxton, Standish, and South Windham. It was a coordinated effort started by one man and other Westbrook community members who truly made a difference in people's lives at Christmas.

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What Were the Gifts?

What were the presents and gifts delivered? It depended upon the need—just about everything from:

• Slippers, boots, mittens, hats, gloves

• Warm clothes and shoes

• Canned goods and food

• Baskets of fruit

• Toys for children

• Oil for the furnace

The toys could have been Colorform playsets, dolls that closed their eyes, Crayola crayons and coloring books, Magic Slates with red plastic pencils you could draw on and then lift to erase and start over.

The parents may have had an idea about who to thank but could not be sure. The kids were thankful that Santa had not forgotten them.

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The Mystery That Remains

All of those men are gone now. We will never know how many they touched with their generosity. Someone reading this may have been a recipient of their Christmas miracles.

Who were those people who cared so much?

Their names are still confidential today, just as it was then.

Do I know who most of them are? Yes.
But I am sworn to secrecy.

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A Legacy of Kindness

There can be no better service to them than to honor their wishes today as it was then.

Perhaps we can continue their legacy in some small way—by doing a little random act of kindness for someone in need. And if we do, we will understand Christmas on a much deeper level.

After all, isn't caring what it's all about?