First Arizona Christmas Tree

DECEMBER, 1934. ARIZONA HIGHWAYS 9 First Arizona Christmas Tree Yule Celebration in Prescott Three Score and Ten Years Ago Was Somewhat of a Problem

By ELIZABETH TOOHEY Arizona State Historian.

Committee hit upon a bright idea. He could play the tune half way through, then repeat it with variations.

By early evening the little home of the Rodenburgs was crowded. The Christmas tree and Christmas party were reality.

Many years later Mr. Rodenburg, speaking of that first Christmas, said: "Electric bulbs may glow in many colors from the Christmas trees of the present day. Trained voices may chant the melodies, diamonds may ornament the guests. Children may devour the gaily colored sweets that are run out by the ton; but that old black-jack was just as good that old tree was just as hand-some, and, above all, there was the de-voted spirit around the Christmas tree of long, long ago, that cannot be dupli-cated, because we did not mix the осса-sion then, as they do now, with discrim-ination and commercialism."

Miss Sharlot Hall of Prescott, having gained much information from pioneers and old files, relates the story of another early Christmas celebration.

"Christmas day and Christmas night the governor kept open house to all who came," said Miss Hall, "and this included many men from the Lynx Creek mining camps the placer mines. Sam Miller, who was the town hunter, furnished deer, antelope and wild turkey in great quantity, and a large beef from one of the ox trains was killed and divided among all the families. The meat was barbecued in a back yard. Mrs. Ehle and Mrs. Julius Sanders baked the cakes. There was a dance Christmas night and everybody in the whole region attended and danced on the dirt floors 'til morning.

"By Christmas of 1865, the young wife of Secretary McCormick had arrived and become the first mistress of the mansion. Already she had made friends with the few families and with all the people in the little camp. She proposed and helped with a Christmas tree, which was set up in a front room of the governor's house. Everyone was invited and there were great numbers of homemade gifts.

"The women had been meeting at (Continued on page 19) THE TERRITORY OF Arizona had been established, the first governor and his official family had braved the hardships of the hazardous journey from Fort Larned, Kansas, and arrived safely, the governor's mansion had been built and the first legislature held there. Prescott was taking pride in being the capital of the territory.

Christmas was approaching and, now that homes had been established, came thought of the Christmas spirit.

A kindly German, Mr. I. N. Roden-burg, recalling the happy memories of his childhood at Christmas time, felt that these pioneers in their new homes should have something of the Yuletide joy. They would have a Christmas tree. A committee was appointed and the little town of Prescott was filled with humorous curiosity. Where were the toys and candies and other goodies to come from? Where were they to get colored candles and tinsel to bedeck a tree? And where were the children, with their shining eyes and merry laughter? A survey of the situation showed seven children, and six others, still young, but grown tall.

Mr. Rodenburg, accompanied by six men, went into the woods and cut a beautiful fir tree. They took their rifles with them, just in case the Christmas spirit meant nothing to the Indian tribes, and returned safely to town with the tree.

The stores, where frijoles elbowed axle grease on the shelves, offered little in the way of luxuries; no bon-bons, no candy of any sort; in fact, no toys and certainly no Christmas tree ornaments. But the committee was not to be discouraged. A sack of brown sugar was purchased and a new Orleans negro, with a flair for cooking, made three kinds of black-jack. That settled the candy question. The black-jack was put into manilla paper bags, which were sealed with flour paste.

A Christmas tree must have lights and the stores did have tallow candles. These were cut in two and the candles tied to the branches with twine. Trunks were searched and the women brought forth treasured bits of ribbon to give the tree a festive air.

Toys? Surely they must have toys for the children; so the men who were handy with pocket knives and tools were called upon, and there were toys.

Now the committee met its really serious problem music. After many hours of searching a fiddle was found, minus a string and a bit battered. The owner could play only one tune--The Arkansas Traveler. However, the com-