1938 – An Exeter Christmas Story
by Barbara Rimkunas
This "Historically Speaking" column was published in the Exeter News-Letter on Friday, December 20, 2019.
As Exeter faced Christmas in 1938, the future was very uncertain and quite frightening. Although the economy in the United States was improving, most people were still feeling insecure about the household budget. In Europe, fascism was on the rise and many feared war was coming. On December 16th, the Exeter News-Letter editorialized, “With France in continuous political uproar, Spain destroying herself with internal warfare, Germany dragged along in the train of a madman, Italy panting for rewards of imperial greatness and unable to get them because Hitler has taken them all, small Czechoslovakia clipped still smaller, England apparently given over to a permanent policy of turning the other cheek – with these hints from recent events the wisest among us will hardly claim to foresee the future relations of America to Europe.” FDR’s programs to combat the Depression concerned many Americans. Were we also headed for government control? Certainly Ernest Templeton, carrying on as the editor of the News-Letter, since his father’s sudden death in July, thought government programs needed to be kept in check. “The projects going on around us, sponsored by the federal government, contrast vividly with the enterprise, independence, self-reliance and cooperation of our ancestors.” It was a scary place out there.
Luckily, the Christmas season generally brought some diversion. Clubs and organizations held annual parties and programs. The Exeter Woman’s Club held a party led by their music and drama committees. The Girl Scouts met at Seward Hall and served refreshments to members and their parents. Gilman Grange had a one-act play called “Christmas is for Children” followed by refreshments and gift exchange. The American Legion had both a party for adults and a Christmas tree with gifts for children of ex-servicemen. The men of the Knights of Columbus advertised “a smoker will be held in the hall. There will be boxing bouts, a sports talk and general entertainment.”
Local shops advertised gift ideas of a predictable nature – Moore’s Shoe Store suggested slippers, moccasins, snow boots and ice skates; Dot’s Flower Shop advertised, “Flowers for Christmas – the Ideal Gift”; Batchelder’s Bookstore encouraged pen and pencil sets, scrapbooks, diaries and stationary. “A gift for everybody,” added the Exeter News-Letter, “give a subscription to the Exeter News-Letter” because what little kid wouldn’t want a subscription to a newspaper that didn’t have comics? Young’s Hardware offered Frigidaire refrigerators, “Let Frigidaire glorify HER Christmas.” But with an asking price of $164.50, Exeter’s women were as likely to get a fridge under the tree as we are to find a new Lexus in the driveway with a big bow.
One organization that became very active at Christmas was the Lion’s Club. Lion’s International became active in Exeter in 1927 as a service club. During summer months, the Lions sponsored fresh-air camps for city children. At Christmas, they held a party for local children and distributed food baskets to the needy.
There is actually film footage of the Lion’s Club in action that year. 1938 was the town’s 300th anniversary and the Lion’s Club tried to film all their activities. Buried in the archives of the Exeter Historical Society in a can labeled “Lion’s Club Tercentenary 1938” after a reenactment of John Wheelwright’s arrival, a club outing, a fire scene and a clam bake, comes “Christmas 1938.” The club treated Exeter’s children to a movie at the Ioka, and the scenes of children lining up in their woolen coats and hats indicates they were excited. After meeting Santa Claus (Walter Pennell) and the creepiest looking lion, the kids enjoyed the show and received a jar of Christmas candy. Watching the film serves to remind us that times were different. The Lion’s Club was comprised of Exeter businessmen – not a woman in sight except for a few mothers dropping off kids. Smoking was common and it only takes a few minutes of viewing before one begins to worry about everyone’s health. A local dog, licensed but unleashed, makes an appearance to take issue with Santa. He is brushed aside rather harshly by one of the children. Officer Benton Hoitt is on hand for crowd and traffic control. You’ll also find him in the “March of Time: New England’s Eight Million Yankees” newsreel filmed in 1941. Police Chief Chrysler makes a quick appearance as well. In 1950, Hoitt would replace Chrysler after the chief was retired somewhat involuntarily. The News-Letter noted, “As an example of the co-operation the club has had in this good work, it is announced that the Knights of Columbus gave the entire proceeds of their well-attended ‘smoker’ last Friday night to the Lions Club to help in this object.” No doubt there was some overlap between the members of both clubs.
Once the kids were dismissed – although many probably returned for the 2:00 matinee of Disney’s “Ferdinand the Bull” and “The Lone Ranger, episode 5: The Rustler’s Hideout” (Saturday matinees were weekend childcare for many families) – the club members worked on Christmas baskets. Bushel baskets loaded with food – ham, sugar, rolled oats, butter, potatoes, coffee, bread, apples, tomato soup, flour and candy – were loaded into trucks and delivered to 118 needy families. The News-Letter estimated four tons of food was donated by generous townspeople. “The club is very grateful for all the help it has received and gladly thanks all who helped no matter whether their contribution was large or small.”
“Probably the club members will get as much satisfaction out of this thing as the recipients. Every member has put his shoulder to the wheel and done all that he can. The greater joy that comes from giving over that of receiving will make their own Christmas all the more enjoyable.” If nothing else, it would take everyone’s mind off the big looming outside world. The week before Christmas, Templeton observed that “the hardness of life in the totalitarian state is exemplified in a new Italian edict: detective and mystery stories are banned. Such a ban in the United States would hit the most intellectual among us. No one reads more detective stories than a learned professor. They bring a restful change to a mind weary with thinking, and easy release for a time from daily worries. In many cases they present a low literary standard; they do not improve the mind; they may displace more serious reading and lessen respect for classical literature – but they have a place among the solaces of our resting hours.” Guess we know what was on his Christmas list. The Exeter Historical Society wishes you and yours a peaceful and pleasant holiday season.
Barbara Rimkunas is curator of the Exeter Historical Society. Support the Exeter Historical Society by becoming a member! Join online at: www.exeterhistory.org
Image: Santa Claus (Walter Pennell) and businessman Paul Bretschnieder. Both were members of the Exeter Lions Club in 1938.
This "Historically Speaking" column was published in the Exeter News-Letter on Friday, December 20, 2019.
As Exeter faced Christmas in 1938, the future was very uncertain and quite frightening. Although the economy in the United States was improving, most people were still feeling insecure about the household budget. In Europe, fascism was on the rise and many feared war was coming. On December 16th, the Exeter News-Letter editorialized, “With France in continuous political uproar, Spain destroying herself with internal warfare, Germany dragged along in the train of a madman, Italy panting for rewards of imperial greatness and unable to get them because Hitler has taken them all, small Czechoslovakia clipped still smaller, England apparently given over to a permanent policy of turning the other cheek – with these hints from recent events the wisest among us will hardly claim to foresee the future relations of America to Europe.” FDR’s programs to combat the Depression concerned many Americans. Were we also headed for government control? Certainly Ernest Templeton, carrying on as the editor of the News-Letter, since his father’s sudden death in July, thought government programs needed to be kept in check. “The projects going on around us, sponsored by the federal government, contrast vividly with the enterprise, independence, self-reliance and cooperation of our ancestors.” It was a scary place out there.
Local shops advertised gift ideas of a predictable nature – Moore’s Shoe Store suggested slippers, moccasins, snow boots and ice skates; Dot’s Flower Shop advertised, “Flowers for Christmas – the Ideal Gift”; Batchelder’s Bookstore encouraged pen and pencil sets, scrapbooks, diaries and stationary. “A gift for everybody,” added the Exeter News-Letter, “give a subscription to the Exeter News-Letter” because what little kid wouldn’t want a subscription to a newspaper that didn’t have comics? Young’s Hardware offered Frigidaire refrigerators, “Let Frigidaire glorify HER Christmas.” But with an asking price of $164.50, Exeter’s women were as likely to get a fridge under the tree as we are to find a new Lexus in the driveway with a big bow.
One organization that became very active at Christmas was the Lion’s Club. Lion’s International became active in Exeter in 1927 as a service club. During summer months, the Lions sponsored fresh-air camps for city children. At Christmas, they held a party for local children and distributed food baskets to the needy.
There is actually film footage of the Lion’s Club in action that year. 1938 was the town’s 300th anniversary and the Lion’s Club tried to film all their activities. Buried in the archives of the Exeter Historical Society in a can labeled “Lion’s Club Tercentenary 1938” after a reenactment of John Wheelwright’s arrival, a club outing, a fire scene and a clam bake, comes “Christmas 1938.” The club treated Exeter’s children to a movie at the Ioka, and the scenes of children lining up in their woolen coats and hats indicates they were excited. After meeting Santa Claus (Walter Pennell) and the creepiest looking lion, the kids enjoyed the show and received a jar of Christmas candy. Watching the film serves to remind us that times were different. The Lion’s Club was comprised of Exeter businessmen – not a woman in sight except for a few mothers dropping off kids. Smoking was common and it only takes a few minutes of viewing before one begins to worry about everyone’s health. A local dog, licensed but unleashed, makes an appearance to take issue with Santa. He is brushed aside rather harshly by one of the children. Officer Benton Hoitt is on hand for crowd and traffic control. You’ll also find him in the “March of Time: New England’s Eight Million Yankees” newsreel filmed in 1941. Police Chief Chrysler makes a quick appearance as well. In 1950, Hoitt would replace Chrysler after the chief was retired somewhat involuntarily. The News-Letter noted, “As an example of the co-operation the club has had in this good work, it is announced that the Knights of Columbus gave the entire proceeds of their well-attended ‘smoker’ last Friday night to the Lions Club to help in this object.” No doubt there was some overlap between the members of both clubs.
Once the kids were dismissed – although many probably returned for the 2:00 matinee of Disney’s “Ferdinand the Bull” and “The Lone Ranger, episode 5: The Rustler’s Hideout” (Saturday matinees were weekend childcare for many families) – the club members worked on Christmas baskets. Bushel baskets loaded with food – ham, sugar, rolled oats, butter, potatoes, coffee, bread, apples, tomato soup, flour and candy – were loaded into trucks and delivered to 118 needy families. The News-Letter estimated four tons of food was donated by generous townspeople. “The club is very grateful for all the help it has received and gladly thanks all who helped no matter whether their contribution was large or small.”
“Probably the club members will get as much satisfaction out of this thing as the recipients. Every member has put his shoulder to the wheel and done all that he can. The greater joy that comes from giving over that of receiving will make their own Christmas all the more enjoyable.” If nothing else, it would take everyone’s mind off the big looming outside world. The week before Christmas, Templeton observed that “the hardness of life in the totalitarian state is exemplified in a new Italian edict: detective and mystery stories are banned. Such a ban in the United States would hit the most intellectual among us. No one reads more detective stories than a learned professor. They bring a restful change to a mind weary with thinking, and easy release for a time from daily worries. In many cases they present a low literary standard; they do not improve the mind; they may displace more serious reading and lessen respect for classical literature – but they have a place among the solaces of our resting hours.” Guess we know what was on his Christmas list. The Exeter Historical Society wishes you and yours a peaceful and pleasant holiday season.
Barbara Rimkunas is curator of the Exeter Historical Society. Support the Exeter Historical Society by becoming a member! Join online at: www.exeterhistory.org
Image: Santa Claus (Walter Pennell) and businessman Paul Bretschnieder. Both were members of the Exeter Lions Club in 1938.
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