Historian Bill Wangemann-shares letters to Santa from yesteryear

The Christmas season with all its traditions is without a doubt one of the most charming and delightful times of the year. With elaborate lighted decorations adorning homes from one end of the city to the other, parties and shoppers rushing to and fro, it’s a time like no other.

Then, of course, there is for children, the coming of Santa Claus.

But just how is Santa Claus supposed to know what to bring each child? It’s quite simple; the children sit down and write him a letter. And do they write! Millions of letters addressed to Santa Claus at the North Pole pour into post offices across the country. Many newspapers have a letters to Santa column at Christmas time and the local media was no exception. As you read these letters, it’s quite clear that children do understand what is going on in the world around them.

During the gut wrenching years of the Great Depression, the letters written to Santa Claus reflected the children’s understanding that times were hard and that maybe even Santa Claus couldn’t really afford too much. In the year 1932, a little boy wrote the following letter: “Dear Santa, I’m a little boy, 7 years old. Don’t bring me much this Christmas; take it to the poor children. Please, Santa, bring me a basketball, a tool chest, a set of Lincoln Logs and a Christmas tree.”

Almost every one of the children assured Santa Claus that they had been very good all year long. In fact, one little boy said, “I think I’ve been good all year. At least I tried,” and then went on to ask for just a school bag, a Christmas tree, candy and nuts. Another 7-year-old boy cautioned Santa not to forget his new baby brother, because, he explained, “he wasn’t here last year.” A little girl wrote the following somewhat strange letter to Santa. “My dear Santa, I have been a very good girl this year and would like a real airplane and a purple cow. And don’t forget my little brother, and some candy but I don’t like nuts. Signed, “Your little girl.”

It was not uncommon during the Depression years for children to ask for clothes or possibly just a few pencils and a pad of paper. Some children started out their letter by saying “Dear Santa, I want to thank you for the gifts you brought me last year.” A small boy in the Elkhart Lake area informed Santa that he and his family had moved there from the Random Lake area and he just wanted to be sure that Santa Claus was aware of his new address. Even though many of the children’s requests were very meager during those lean days, many of them did not forget to ask Santa to bring gifts to their brothers and sisters and all the poor children. When children today ask for lap top computers, expensive video games or perhaps their own cell phone, while in 1930 a little boy asked for a pencil box, two tablets and five pencils, it is clear how children’s wants have changed. But even back in the hungry days of 1932, a little girl wrote the following letter to Santa. “Dear Santa, I have been a very good girl all year and wish you would bring me a new Ford V8, a teddy bear, a pink elephant, nuts and candy. And please don’t forget my little sister. Your little friend.”

During the war years, the tone of the children’s letters to Santa changed drastically. Many of them asked Santa Claus not to forget their daddy who was in the Air Corps or perhaps in the Army, Navy or Marine Corps. One small girl said her uncle was stationed in Hawaii and even though this was very far away, would he please bring him a gift. Young boys began asking for such things as an army helmet, or a toy rifle and a tank that you could wind up. Again the contents of the children’s letters clearly reflected that they understood that a great war was raging.

It might be noted that all these letters were taken from local newspaper archives and were written by Sheboygan area children.

Now if you’ll excuse me, as soon as this column is written and sent off, I have a letter to write, to Santa Claus.

Today’s Snippet: In 1951, at the beginning of the atomic age, one little girl wrote to Santa Claus and asked for an atomic bomb and she made it very clear to Santa that this was not to be a toy bomb “but one that works.” Thankfully Santa did not honor her request!