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In 1929, Marietta residents enjoyed a festive and "modern" holiday season. Boughs of spruce, ordered from forests in the state of Washington, were woven into a chain three miles long and strung along the streets of town. Lighted outdoor decorations were a new trend, and The Marietta Daily Times offered a $25 prize to the house with the most beautiful lights. Every family was invited to enter the contest in which "small colored lights on outside trees, wreaths lighted with colored lamps and hung outside, would make Marietta a place of blazing beauty and glory this Christmastime."
Store windows were filled with dolls and bicycles, painting sets and toy airplanes -- everything a modern child could hope for. A special mailbox was set up next to the post office on Front Street just to hold all the letters to Santa.
To make the days before Christmas pass a little faster, Birch the "Master Magician" entertained boys and girls with a magic show in City Hall Auditorium. Among his spectacular tricks was Princess, the famous vanishing pony, which disappeared while suspended in mid-air.
But the event that really showed how thoroughly modern Marietta had become was the arrival of Santa Claus in an airplane!
Excitement in the Air
The entire world was excited about air travel in 1929. Just two years before, Charles Lindbergh made a daring, nonstop flight alone from New York to Paris in his plane, the "Spirit of St. Louis." This was considered an amazing feat, and "Lucky Lindy" was greeted by admiring fans wherever he went.
Ordinary people rarely traveled by airplane in 1929, however, and few planes were seen in the sky over Marietta. In those days, most planes were delivering airmail from one city to another. Some were piloted by stunt fliers who put on air shows at county fairs. The combination of Santa Claus and an airplane was sure to be a memorable event!
Santa Claus Comes to Town
On the afternoon of December 12, thousands of men, women, and children thronged the streets, their faces turned upward, eyes eagerly scanning the sky. The Times had reported that Santa would be flying in from the north, "riding on the wings of the airship." His assistant would be piloting the plane. Shortly after three o'clock, he was spotted. The crowd cheered as Santa's small plane sputtered and buzzed over Marietta at an altitude of about half a mile. An explosion of fireworks announced his arrival as he soared through the air. After "stunting" across the city, the plane turned toward the fairgrounds, where Santa jumped out and parachuted to the ground. He was then driven downtown to meet the excited children waiting at the Armory on Front Street. After Santa was given all the letters that had been collected in the special mailbox, he strolled through the streets of Marietta with boys and girls mobbing him on all sides. When everyone was thoroughly filled with holiday spirit, Santa headed for the landing field to hop aboard his plane and continue his fabulous flight.
The Christmas of 1929 couldn't have been any better. On December 24th, Marietta was treated to six inches of snow. It was the first white Christmas in 12 years, and anyone who found a sled under their tree had fun coasting down our snow-covered hills.