My Dad wrote this several years ago and of course we treasure it even more since he's not here to tell us these things.  I sure do miss him.  I thought it would be good to share this with you at Christmas so that you could glimpse what Christmas was like for many people in Steele & Chandler Mountain 70 or 80 years ago.  

“CHRISTMAS”

Changes “Then to Now” 1932-2012

 Now that I seem to have more time to reminisce the days gone by, I was recently thinking about the differences in Christmases of my childhood as compared to today.  In that day our family consisted of a Dad, Mother and 4 children.  I had an older sister and have an older brother and younger sister.

Our home was a 40 acre, two horse farm on Chandler Mountain (before the tractor), Dad and Mother had acquired after coming from North Georgia to Alabama in 1924.  The farm was our only source of a living.  Most of the crops were used by the family each year with a little cotton being our only cash crop.  Each farm was given a cotton allotment in acreage.  In about 1938 The Government Administration measured our cotton acreage and told my Dad we had two rows of cotton too much and He would have to plow it up or he could not get a certificate to sell the cotton we produced.  

If it sounds like a meager living, it was.  But just think, no fuel bill, we cut our own wood for heat and for cooking.  No electric bills, we used kerosene (obtained by selling eggs, chickens or butter to the rolling store) for the lamps and lanterns, no TVs, no telephones, no appliance repairs, you see power was not run to the Mountain until about 1938. Transportation was limited on the mountain as of this time since the number of automobiles could probably be counted on one hand. Most relied on Horses or Mules and wagons. There was one thing present  in our home long before we were born and that was a Bible.  That is the one thing that has not changed and never will.  In Its pages It relates that once a Baby was born, a very special Baby, and He shall be called “Jesus” The Christ Child, The Son of God.  That account was in the Bible long ago and you can still find it there today, still the favorite reading of all time.   For many years now Christ’s Birthday is celebrated as “Christmas”.   To try to change it to a Holiday, changes nothing at all.  God sent His Son. 

I guess my earliest accounting of the commercial side of  “Christmas” thanks to Sears & Roebuck,  and Co. was when they, along with J C Penny’s, Montgomery Wards and National Bellas Hess mailed the yearly Christmas Catalogs .  This was the beginning of the wishing.  I could relate the pictures of electric Trains to the ole Steam engines we would hear as they passed through Steele.

Remember (no TV).  Our Christmas trees were small pines.  We would collect foil from Gold Tip chewing gum wrappers and discarded cigarette packages throughout the year and gather sweet gum balls and sycamore balls covering them with the foil as our tree ornaments.  Small pine cones were also used.  We did have an old battery AM radio and listened to them reading the cards to Santa in  which most ended with a request for” lots of fruits, nuts, and candy”, about what we had on Christmas morning.

 Once at school age we really became excited.  A cedar tree was located for our Christmas Tree.  Our teacher brought real glass ornaments the first I had ever seen besides the pictures in the catalogs.  The  balls were blue, green and red, the most brilliant I can ever remember seeing.  One year our teacher  let three or four boys out of school long enough to go to Jake Creek and locate some holly bushes  with red berries and gather some for decorating our room.  Somebody also climbed some trees with  mistletoe with white berries and we carried it all back to our class room.  Around the first of December each class would draw names and exchange small gifts on the day school dismissed for  Christmas break.  Boys usually received things like pocket combs, a new wood pencil, small mesh  bag with marbles or a multi-colored sponge ball, while the girls received pencils, hair clasps, handkerchiefs, crayons, etc.  No one left without a gift, our teacher always had an extra or two.  Insignificant  you think but after 80 years I still recall the Joy and excitement the same as if yesterday. 

We moved to Steele in about 1944.  I guess that put me at age 12.  Things were a little different and  more convenient.  Walking to the store a new experience.  As I stated earlier Dad lived to be 85 and never owned an automobile.   During the mid to late 1940's I ventured out on a new experience by  walking out to highway 11 at Steele Station Rd. to catch a Greyhound Bus on its scheduled  route from Birmingham to Chattanooga.  When it stopped in Attalla at Walker Drug Store I exited. Due to age and lack of money, this excursion wasn’t so much for shopping as it was the Joy and  excitement of touring the 5 & 10 cent stores   both in Attalla and Gadsden.  As I recall in Attalla there was Elmores and Woolworths.  When I was  finished there I caught one of the city busses running between Attalla and Gadsden every few minutes and had a bus stop in every block.  In Gadsden there was Grants, Kress, Woolworths, and  McClellans.  Today they are all gone.  The streets were busy and the air filled with sounds of the Salvation Army Bell Ringers and outdoor Joyful music and vocal  “Merry Christmas” expressions both in and outside stores.  Before the Mall most of the shoppers were downtown. Today, Nelson’s Variety Store is located where McClellans  stood.  Much of their merchandise reminds me of that from the earlier days.  I still try to visit them once each Christmas Season.  They were the last to stock the old style ribbon candy. Hope you noticed I did not see any cell phones or video games on my tour, to name just a couple things. 

I just wanted to remind you that its still Christmas, the Birthday of Christ and once was celebrated in a much simpler, more meaningful way. I am just grateful for having been a part of such a time.

Chances are you will never experience most of this occurrence.

 Well it’s about time I to get a bus back to Attalla. the Southbound Greyhound will be coming through  soon on its trip through Steele, bound for Birmingham, meanwhile to you and yours, “A Blessed Merry Christmas”

 

                                                                                                   Buel Plemons

                                                                                                   Steele,Alabama