Christmas is Coldest on Record

Marietta Daily Times, December 26, 1924

Temperature lower here than on holiday in 35 years.

Six above zero in Marietta.

Chilling winds that came blustering out of the North brought the answer to many little prayers that it might be a white Christmas. They also Santa Claused this section of the Ohio Valley with the coldest weather of the season and the coldest Christmas Day since away back when winters were cold and skating was a popular pastime during that season.

With low temperatures of 6 degrees above zero for Wednesday night and 7 for Christmas night, previous records for the low this season were shattered and December 25, 1924, went down in the records of the U.S. Weather Bureau office in Parkersburg as the coldest Christmas since the records have been kept there, a period of 35 years.

The Parkersburg weather-man, H. C. Howe, reported a low of 4 above zero for Wednesday night. On Christmas night his instrument recorded 7, the same as the reading of Professor Thomas Dwight Biscoe of Front Street, who recorded 6 on Wednesday night. The two coldest Christmas days in the 35 years the records of the bureau show were in 1891 and 1896, when the mercury went down to 10 above.

Thermometers in various parts of the city varied greatly and some real low temperatures were reported by some observing citizens. One man reported his thermometer to be at zero on both Thursday and Friday mornings, and the instrument at Gray Brothers grocery registered 3 above at 7:15 o'clock.

Christmas Day the sun came out warm and the temperature rose to 29. But in the shade it was much colder, and according to one weather observer at 5:15 in the afternoon it was only 13 above.

Not a few Marietta families celebrated Christmas by thawing out water pipes, while in many homes the big dinner was held up while the biscuits refused to do much better than "sun bake" in the ovens, a little shy of gas because so much of it was used in other parts of the house.

 

Salvation Army Party Enjoyed

Marietta Daily Times, December 26, 1924

Santa Claus left nothing undone to make happy the hundreds of boys and girls of the city who were guests of the Salvation Army at the Auditorium theatre on Thursday evening. The main auditorium was packed with children who were given toys and a treat and enjoyed a Christmas program of songs, recitations, dialogues, and tableaux.

Elmer Hess presided over the program that was given from the stage. The Salvation Army band of 16 pieces gave a musical program and three numbers were played by the Army Bugle Band and Drum Corps. The approach of Santa Claus was heralded through the receipt of three telegrams during the progress of the entertainment and when he did come, at the close of the program, merriment was unrestrained. 

About 360 boys and girls were presented with various toys, including dolls, doll buggies, knives, guns, mouth harps, games, etc., and each child received a package of candy. The gifts were distributed from the huge tree that was on the stage.

Over 300 baskets were distributed by the Salvation Army officials on Wednesday afternoon. The baskets contained 16 articles each, everything to make a sumptuous Christmas dinner.

 

Christmas Gifts - 1856

Marietta Intelligencer, December 20, 1856

 Christmas and New Years

We have a large assortment of Fancy Candies and Candy Toys, Foreign Fruits and Nuts, Fresh Fruits, Jellies, Jams, Preserves, Pickles in Glass Jars, Fresh Tomatoes, Work Boxes, Dressing Cases, Spool Stands, Toy Wagons and Cradles, &c., and a great many other things suitable for Christmas and New Years presents.

 J. B. Hovey & Co.

New Addition to Marietta

Marietta Daily Journal, March 5, 1917

Marietta will have another residence subdivision in the near future, according to information that was given out today. The new addition will be located on the Strecker farm, just off the end of Third Street, and will be built by the Strecker estate, B. F., C. F. Strecker and others. It is planned to start work on the new addition just as soon as the weather permits and when completed, the place will be one of the finest sites for homes in the Pioneer City.

The Strecker farm consists of a large tract of land just off the north end of Third Street and it joins the Rathbone Addition. It is planned to build the new addition on the right hand side of Third Street on the high ground. A part of the new subdivision will be within the city limits.

The Strecker Brothers plan to start the grading work on the addition in the near future and when the work is completed, several modern homes will be erected. E. T. Jenney, of the firm of Jenney and Jenney, of Cleveland, will supervise the work on the new addition. Mr. Jenney is a landscape gardener of much repute and only recently had charge of the work of improving the fine estate of D. A. Bartlett. He should be able to put the new residence site into the finest kind of shape.

Definite plans as to the number of homes and their style have not yet been decided upon, but a number of the most modern residences will be built. The construction of this new residence site will aid greatly in relieving Marietta of her present shortage of homes which has been caused by an increase in the industrial wealth of the city, hence an increase in the number of laborers.

Perry Fined

Marietta Daily Leader, December 28, 1897

D. H. Perry, the man who was arrested for hugging two young ladies on the railroad bridge, was arraigned before Mayor Meisenhelder Monday and pleaded guilty to the charge of drunkenness and disorderly conduct. He was fined $15 and costs, amounting in all to $20.25.