Knightstown in the 1950s

Here’s a quote by Wayne Kelly:

Small-town kids often have big-time memories, especially in regards to holidays. The Kelly’s observed the usual holidays such as Mother’s and Father’s Day, but the universal holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas hold special memories.

This section provides a place where we can relate those big-time memories and pass them on to later generations. I’ve made up some pages and now all I need is your stories and pictures to put on them. Send me an email with any of your holiday memories and any pictures you’d like to share. Here’s my email address:

This page is for our Christmas and New Years memories.
To go to any of the other pages in the “Holidays” section just click on the menu at the top of the page.

Christmas

Christmas by Wayne Kelly, Class of ‘52

Believe it or not, in the late 40s and early 50s we often had a white Christmas! Snow—sometimes substantial—would cover the town landscape. It was cold, too. Ear muffs and mittens were often the order of the day! A large large fir tree on the south end of Town Square was strung with lights and when that happened Knightstown youngsters knew the holiday season had arrived. A walk through neighborhoods was a memory seared in my mind: Christmas trees could be seen through windows of nearly every home and colorful wreaths adorned doors. Of course, Main Street sidewalks adjacent to the markets were filled with tightly bundled fir trees. The smell of fresh cut pines and the crunch of pine needles as we walked by is a lasting memory. Windows at the KHS Study Hall were painted with Christmas scenes, and since I was one of the artists for a couple of years, I always looked forward to decorating the school. Stores were filled with the spirit of Christmas: decorations were unboxed from the previous year’s storage and hung with care. It seemed customers were more cheerful than usual, too. They probably were. As I recall the KHS band always had a Christmas concert and we would practice for weeks. I never had much money so Christmas was not an expensive holiday. Back then it was the gift that counted, not how much it cost. Christmas was always exciting and our trees big and laden with lights, icicles, and an array of ornaments. Each night the few days before Christmas my brother and I would inspect the packages to see what new had been added. But there was a religious, observant side, too. We would attend Christmas services at the Methodist Church and over the years it became a tradition that my family would attend Christmas eve services.
Thanks Wayne

Christmas Carolers in the School Halls in ‘55

Christmas Memories of Linda Forst Linke, Class of ‘56

I remember the high school art students coming into the elementary rooms and painting the windows with some kind of Christmas theme–and then being judged on who had the best windows.
It was always exciting to see the decorations in town and the lighted star put up on top of the grade school. The local stores all decorated as well. There was also a musical program at school.
Thanks Linda..!!

Christmas Windows at School in ‘54

Painting the windows at Christmas in 1955

New Years

New Years by Wayne Kelly, Class of ‘52

Ahhh, New Years! I was never much of a party goer, but I always enjoyed seeing other people have a good time. On New Year’s eve for several years my brother and I ran the “coke concession” for the annual New Year’s Eve bash at the Knightstown Gym. We would stock up on soft drinks, cups and cases of potato chips which we sold to party goers. And of course as the evening wore on the more we made in tips! I believe we ran the concession for three years, and I cannot recall anyone misbehaving to the point of removal. Things were a little different then, I guess. Bottom line: we made a pot full of money at New Years!
Thanks again Wayne..!!