About Christmas Eve in Chariton during 1889, I can tell you that the Methodists were lording it (just a little) over the competition elsewhere in the city because their auditorium, at the intersection of what now is North Main and Roland, was illuminated for the first time during a holiday season by recently installed electric lighting, the only church building in town so equipped.
But the photo here is of Sacred Heart Church decorated for Christmas in a more recent year, which I've used in part to compensate for the fact this parish (then St. Mary's) apparently didn't have a Christmas Eve Mass that year. A resident priest had yet to be assigned, although Mass was celebrated regularly at 10 a.m. on the first and second Sundays of each month and at 3 p.m. on the other Sundays. The Chariton Herald of Dec. 26, 1889, did contain an announcement that the Rev. Henry V. Maniett, a Chariton boy then on the faculty of St. Ambrose College, Davenport, would be home for the holidays to celebrate Mass in the parish on the following Sunday.
All of the other churches in town rolled their Sunday school programs in with Christmas Eve (or in the case of Lutherans, Christmas day) services that in most instances featured large evergreen trees laden with gifts to be distributed as the service was ending and illuminated (very carefully) with wax candles, buckets of water nearby just in case.
The Disciples and the Episcopalians were feeling innovative during that long-ago holiday season, however. The Christians decked out a large bell; the folks at St. Andrew's, a Christmas ladder.
And the Swedish Lutherans deferred their Christmas program until the evening of the 25th since that congregation still observed the tradition of rising before dawn on Christmas morning for a worship service and needed their rest on Christmas Eve.
Here's the report on Christmas Eve 1889 in Chariton, headlined "Christmas at the Churches," taken from the edition of The Herald dated Dec. 26:
"The Methodist church was decorated with festoons of evergreens draped from the north center of the auditorium to the side windows, mottoes of evergreen with white crosses decorated with evergreen on the north wall, a beautiful gilt cross and crown suspended over the pulpit, with a fine tree laden with numerous presents and sweetmeats. The literary exercises were very interesting, consisting of solos, duets, recitations and tableaux, the latter eliciting special admiration. The brightness of the electric light added much to the effect of the exercises. The auditorium, class room, and gallery were filled with interested spectators.
"The Presbyterian church was decorated with a beautiful evergreen tree heavily laden with presents. The literary exercises consisting of songs, recitations and responsive readings, the church was well filled and the audience delighted.
"At the Christian church, the large white bell decorated with evergreens and numerous presents suspended from an arch of evergreen and vari-colored roses was the center of attraction to the large audience assembled to listen to the interesting program, "The Guiding Star," which had been prepared by members of the Sunday school.
"The large audience assembled at the Baptist church was treated to a fine program of music, responsive readings and recitations, after which the numerous presents displayed on the evergreen Christmas tree were distributed to the great delight of recipients.
"The members of the Episcopal Sunday school had unique decorations of tufts of evergreen over each window, mottoes on side walls and a ladder standing upright decorated with evergreen and cornucopias filled with candy and lighted by colored wax candles at either end of each rung and laden with numerous beautiful presents. The literary exercises were very interesting while the music was especially fine.
"The exercises at the Swedish Lutheran church were conducted on Christmas night. The church was brilliantly lighted with wax candles, a beautiful evergreen tree laden with Christmas goodies adorned the front of the auditorium. the house was well filled with people and a good program was rendered by the members of the Sunday school."
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All of the congregations mentioned here were alive and well on Christmas Eve 2018, but none of the buildings in which the holiday was celebrated in 1889 remain. All have been replaced by newer structures.
1 comment:
The first time I was in the Catholic Church in Chariton, it took my breath away, it is lovely, this is even better with the Christmas decorations, thanks for posting this one.
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