Santa To Bring Toy Shop On Wheels To Marietta

The Marietta Daily Times, December 16, 1930

Marietta boys and girls will be interested in an announcement made at the Chamber of Commerce Tuesday that Santa Claus will arrive in the city at noon on Wednesday and will open one of his work shops on the streets of the city. The shop will be engaged in making toys and entertaining the little folks during the nine days that intervene before Christmas.

Santa Claus, like other good people in all parts of the world, has embraced modern ideas according to Tuesday's announcement, and is moving here on a large motor truck. He has an attractive house or hut on the truck and it will be lined with toys and toy-making machinery. The hut is of logs with snow-covered roof and it will attract a lot of attention its sponsors have been told.

To Park Along Streets

Parking places for the workshop are being provided along the streets and the first stop on Wednesday afternoon will be on Putnam Street. Santa Claus will be in Charge of the shop and will have several brownies as his assistants in the making of toys. 

The old fellow has sent word that he is bringing a large stock of candy and toys for the good boys and girls of Marietta, and his shop will be a busy place from the minute of its arrival right down to Christmas eve when he will trot out his reindeer and sleigh and start making his rounds among the chimneytops.

To Pass Out Sweets

Youngsters, who visit the workshop during its stay in Marietta, will be presented with candy that will be handed out by Santa Claus and it is said that he will carry barrels of the sweets to be dispensed in this way.

The shop will open its doors on Putnam Street at 1:30 o'clock in the afternoon and will be a busy place. It will close its doors at 5:30 o'clock each evening during the week. Starting with Saturday it is expected that it will be open morning, afternoon and evening in order that it may handle the big rush of business that it is expected to enjoy in Marietta.

Santa's workshop on Second Street. Fischer Collection, Marietta College.

The Marietta Daily Times, December 18, 1930:

Busy Day Is Reported By Santa Claus

Santa Claus had a busy first day in Marietta on Wednesday. He arrived at noon and opened his workshop on Putnam Street where he began at once the making of toys for the boys and girls of Marietta and Washington County. He had a well-trained corps of Brownies to assist in the work and they made good progress.

Santa had his shop well stocked with toys and large sacks of Christmas things and many youngsters, and grown people as well, stopped to pay him a visit. The jolly old fellow brought along a supply of candy kisses and was kept busy during most of the afternoon handing out these sweets to visitors.

Today the workshop was moved to Greene Street and there, also, large crowds gathered about this new center of Christmas activities. More candy was given out and scenes like those of Wednesday were repeated.

Tomorrow the workshop will be placed on Front Street between Butler and Putnam streets and on Saturday it will be moved to Second Street not far from the junction with Union Street.

It is becoming apparent that longer hours must be observed in the workshop and it is announced that starting Saturday it will be open each morning, afternoon and evening until Christmas.

This visit of Santa Claus gives promise of being one of the most popular innovations that the patron saint ever has tried in Marietta and many a youngster is getting his or her first intimate view of the figure that annually makes vast armies of boys and girls better.