Christmastime in Logan County

Service members lining up to get a free snack at the Bellefontaine Canteen in the 1940s

Bellefontaine’s Canteen was staffed by over 150 women volunteers of the Big Four Veteran’s Auxiliary

Gallaher's Drug Store was located at the corner of N. Main St. and W. Columbus Ave.

Gallaher's Drug Store suffered a major fire in 1959

Gallaher's Drug Store ad from December 20, 1951

DeGraff at Christmastime ca 1960

Bellefontaine Examiner ad for DeGraff's Christmas Party on December 15, 1951

Entrance sign for the 664th Air Force Radar Squadron at Campbell Hill.

The 664th Air Force Radar Squadron base at Campbell Hill

The Bellefontaine Post Office was in operation from 1914 to 1964.

Postal worker sorting mail at the Bellefontaine Post Office

Postal workers sorting mail at the Bellefontaine Post Office

George and Hattie Stough celebrated their 60th anniversary on Christmas Eve 1951

Dr. Sloan Library in Zanesfield where George & Hattie Stough celebrated their 60th anniversary

The History Center Archives has various Logan County newspapers from the 1800s to the 1900s. We found some interesting Christmastime articles printed by the Bellefontaine Examiner in 1945 and 1951.

Canteen Ready for Holiday Rush On December 19, 1945, Logan County’s Free Canteen reported they were ready to give the traveling men and women in the Armed Forces a bit of Christmas. The Canteen was decorated for Christmas in red and green and turkeys were roasted and sliced for sandwiches. They also provided oranges, fruit cake, candy, coffee, and milk.

Note: Bellefontaine’s Canteen, staffed by over 150 women volunteers of the Big Four Veteran’s Auxiliary, served over 700,000 service people during its time. Operating from May 3, 1942, to January 16, 1946, the Canteen served between 50 and 400 daily with an average of 1,000 per week. The largest single day was between Christmas and New Years in 1945 when 2,285 service members stopped at the Canteen.

Gallaher’s Formal Opening

Gallaher’s Drug Store opened at the corner of N. Main St. and W. Columbus Ave. on December 5, 1951, with twenty-eight employees. The store was divided into six departments occupying seventy-three feet by thirty-five feet. The pharmacist/store manager was Robert Hornickle, a graduate of the College of Pharmacy at Ohio Northern University. The assistant pharmacist was Harry Bailey Jr, of Huntsville, a junior in the College of Pharmacy at ONU. Mrs. Pat Hughes managed the fountain department that had sixteen stools and six booths. Mrs. Glada Uhlman managed the cosmetics department. Their Christmas ad featured toys, candy, chocolates, various gift sets of perfume, soap and lotion, and gifts for smokers. Note: the building suffered a major fire in July 1959. The upper two stories were removed after the fire.

DeGraff Christmas Party The retail merchants of DeGraff sponsored a Christmas party at the town hall for children on December 15, 1951. “Approximately 250 Children came on sleds and in the arms of their parents from all directions, eager and expectant. It would have done anyone’s soul good and warmed the cockles of the heart to have seen their faces, watching and waiting, which answered Virginia’s old query, “Is there a Santa Claus?”

Santa came to town at 2:30 and 7:30 pm. The old town bell rang from its belfry announcing the arrival of Santa Claus. He rode in a big, red fire truck, with the sirens blowing loudly. Santa greeted the Children and gave each one a bag of candy.

When Santa gave eight-year-old Barbara McIntosh her treat, she gave him a gift as well. She said, “It’s for your reindeer, Rudolph.” When Santa opened the carefully wrapped gift, he discovered it was an ear of yellow corn. The DeGraff High School chorus sang Christmas carols and stores stayed open until 11:00 pm that evening.

Christmas Invitation for 664^th Members On December 14, 1951, it was reported that Logan County residents had invited servicemen stationed at the 664^th Air Force Radar Base at Campbell Hill to spend Christmas with them in their homes. In November, more than ninety invitations were sent to every member of the base off duty, except for those on furlough at their homes, to spend Thanksgiving Day with Logan County families. The venture was such a success that the offer was extended for Christmas. The men expressed their gratitude “for a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal and a hospitable day.” Their hosts were happy to able to bring “a bit of home” to the men, who were from all corners of the nation. Mrs. Hugh Beatty and Mrs. William Cooper, who operated the Hub newsstand, collaborated with officers of the base for the invitations. Beatty and Cooper indicated they had already received offers to host the men, as well as their wives or sweethearts, for next year’s holidays.

Post Office Swamped with Christmas Mail The Bellefontaine Examiner reported on December 19, 1951, that the Bellefontaine Post Office was “swamped” with mail during a two-day period, but it was not due to the weather. Postmaster Kathryn Moore and her assistant, G.H. Wortman, said the “pile-up” in mail came mostly because of “everybody” mailing cards and packages and a large amount of mail for delivery had been delayed by the New York Central Railroad. They said there just were not enough man-hours to handle all the mail. The Post Office stated, with Christmas being less than a week away, and if cards and packages were not mailed immediately, they would become “New Years Greetings.” From December 1^st to December 24^th, the Post Office had 392,130 pieces of mail.

Christmas Day Dinner to Mark 60^th Anniversary On Christmas Eve 1951, George O. and Hattie Stough, celebrated Christmas and their 60^th wedding anniversary in the Community Room of the Dr. Sloan Library in Zanesfield. Seven of their eight children, and their families, hosted the big turkey dinner and celebration. Mr. Stough retired in 1936 from the postal service with 29 years of service. Each week during World War II, the couple spent one day making doughnuts for the Bellefontaine Canteen, which supplied food and treats for service members when they traveled by train through Bellefontaine.