This article, written by Todd Preston, President of the Magoffin County Historical Society, was taken from the December 22, 2011 issue of THE SALYERSVILLE INDEPENDENT newspaper.

          Here we are nearing the end of the year 2011 and right in the midst of Christmas preparations as people hurry about decorating for the season, gathering up gifts, planning family gatherings, cooking all sorts of delicious foods, and sending season’s greetings.  It is quite a different scene that comes to my mind as I reach into my memory for a glimpse of Christmas back in the thirties or the Great Depression era.  In that time, we and most everyone we knew were “living off the land”, that is, we made do with what we could produce on our homesteads.

          Even in that day and time we knew we had to be a little extra good before and through the Christmas season, this was especially hard for us boys.

          We planned for weeks ahead for this time of the year.  We, Ralph, Roger and I, would set out on the important mission of choosing and cutting a tree that we thought was just right for the family.  Along with us traveled three or more dogs and we carried a twenty-two caliber rifle as there was always a need for more meat on the table.

          We would climb hills and go up hollows in search for the most perfect tree, even though we knew where our favorite tree already was.  We spent time looking for some black gum trees in order to get some mistletoe for decorating also.

          When we had our tree and whatever else we had gathered we would carry it from the woods to our house.  We would make a wooden stand to set the tree on and our sisters would then decorate it with strings of popcorn and other homemade trinkets.  It made a pretty sight for our young eyes.

          Then came the night when Santa was to come down the chimney bringing gifts.  Now, I never questioned just how Santa could park his sleigh and reindeer on our board roof and come down our small chimney, especially when we had a log fire going all night long! 

          Before going to bed we hung our stockings on the fireplace mantle.  Our boy’s socks wouldn’t hold as much as the girl’s long stockings so we would “borrow” our sister’s stockings so as to make more room for all the toys and goodies we hoped to find the next morning.  Of course, we went to sleep much earlier on this special night, or at least we got in bed trying to sleep as we knew Santa wouldn’t stop at a home where the children weren’t asleep.

          We lived in a little two-room log home. It was a bit small for our family of ten children so we boys slept in another log building called the smokehouse.  We would wake up early on Christmas morning to see what Santa had left in our stockings.  We would find them filled mostly with apples, oranges, bananas and candy.  Then, right in the bottom of the socks would be a cap pistol and a few rolls of caps along with some fire crackers.  These would drive our dogs crazy; when we shot them off, they thought it meant we were getting ready to go hunting.

          Now the little tin cap pistols didn’t last but a few days and by that time we had used up all the caps anyway but we always had our trusty sling-shot weapons to fall back on.

          Before school was turned out for the Christmas holiday we would have a program for parents and everyone in the neighborhood.  We students would hunt for the best tree and everyone would make decorations for the tree.  I remember one Christmas walking to school with my brothers and sisters. My sister had made trinkets at home to decorate the school tree. There had been a big snow the night before so Ralph went in front of us, breaking a trail.  Luva was in back to make sure we stayed together and I was right next to her.  She got a little too close to the creek and slid right in, actually disappearing into the water, Christmas ornaments and all!  I yelled at Ralph who ran back and we made a human chain and pulled her out of the water but she lost most of the trinkets she had made for the tree.

          It all turned out well even though we were a little late for school that morning.  We walked a little over a mile to school.  There were some students who had to walk further than we did. 

          At one time in my young life, I would get out of my nice warm bed, milk a couple of cows, walk the mile-plus to school and have a fire built in the pot-belly stove before the other students arrived.  This chore earned me twenty-five cents a week!

          It was hard in those days with little to do with but we all had love and kindness for one another.  I would like to participate in an old time Christmas of yesteryear again.

          May each of you have joy and happiness at this special time of the year.  Merry Christmas!