100 years ago: ‘Monster’ Christmas Tree towers over O’Fallon park

100 years ago, Dec. 10, 1925

A thirty-foot tree, illuminated with many large and tiny multi-colored lights will adorn the Woman’s Club park at Lincoln Avenue and Front Streets during the Christmas holidays as part of the festive spirit of the various civic, fraternal and labor organizations of the city.

The monster tree has already been purchased and will be brought to O’Fallon Sunday morning to be erected at some later date. Various committees are now busily engaged in providing an appropriate program and the preparation of gift bags for the kiddies on the night of December 23rd when the Christmas spirit will become manifest in our city by the rendition of musical and vocal selections at the tree.

Additional contributions to the fund have been received as follows: Business Men’s Association $20; Royal Neighbors $10; Pocahontas $10; Red Men $10; Hod Carriers and Common Laborer’s Union $5; Odd Fellow $5; Pythian Sisters $5; Bible Class $5.

This is the first year that O’Fallon will have a municipal tree and from the interest that is being taken indications are that the affair will be a success and that it will be an annual event. The tree will be illuminated nightly during Christmas week and no doubt will attract considerable attention on the part of visitors who will be here over the holidays.

75 years ago, Dec. 7, 1950

Efforts will be made to secure Federal financial assistance for O’Fallon’s schools under terms of two new laws passed by Congress that provides for such relief to school systems near military installations where there are large numbers of children of members of the armed forces.

Elmer D. Murray, superintendent of O’Fallon schools, and Hawley Canterbury, secretary of the Grade School board, attended a meeting at Scott Air Force Base called by Col. George Pardy, commander of the base. Capt. James Rice, education information officer, spoke before the meeting which was attended by a number of school officials of the area who are concerned with the rising costs of maintaining schools due to the large number of military personnel children attending schools in the area.

Increased enrollment, particularly in the lower grades, has been greatly accelerated by the large number of young families of Scott Air Base personnel. This condition often makes existing building facilities inadequate and increases the number of teachers needed.

Capt. Rice explained that two recent acts of Congress were written to correct this situation. The law provides financial grants to enable districts to build schools or to give them money for increased operating costs. However, the law is a new one, he said, and it is uncertain as to how it might affect any given locality.

Murray said that in general the law indicates that aid is possible for school districts where 10 percent or more of the children may be classified as families of military personnel or Civil Service employees of a military installation. Evidence must be submitted to show the need for aid and to prove conclusively how the presence of the military installation means a burden to the district.

Murray pointed out that of the 360 enrolled in the O’Fallon grade school approximately 60 or 16 percent are children of military families. It is his opinion that O’Fallon may qualify for aid. In high school there are 18 children of military families out of the 250 pupils. However, with the increasing importance of Scott Air Force Base there will probably be more such children in the future, he said.

Other school officials of the county attending the meeting were: Clarence Teter, secretary of the Freeburg board; Carl Barton, Freeburg superintendent of schools; Leonard Hall, superintendent of schools at Summerfield; Edward L. Allen, superintendent of elementary schools at Belleville; J. V. Wilson, his assistant; R. C. Sayre, superintendent of schools at Lebanon; J. R. Nichols, superintendent of schools at Mascoutah; and County Superintendent of Schools Clarence D. Blair.

50 years ago, Dec. 11, 1975

For the poor and needy people of O’Fallon, Christmas is just another day. No celebrations, no trees or presents. Children awake to a bare room where Santa Claus and toys are not talked about.

But for many, that day can be changed around through the work of many fine organizations throughout the area who work hard to bring a little joy into the home on that day.

The National Honor Society and Student Council at O’Fallon Township High School will be collecting money this Sunday afternoon from residents to help the less fortunate people in the city. The students will be collecting funds from 1 p.m to 4 p.m. Sunday. They will all have identification badges with them. Receipts will be given out when a donation is made.

Through the efforts of the O’Fallon Kiwanis Club, children will receive new clothes for the season. Chairman Darwin Lehmann said the club will spend between $750 and $1,000 on clothes for the children. The children will be taken to local stores to purchase the clothes. The money the club is using has been collected by the club over the past year.

The O’Fallon Underwater Search and Recovery Squad will be having its fourth annual Christmas Party Dec. 21 from 2 pm. to 4 p.m. for children under 12 years old. Children will be invited to join in the celebration.

Santa Claus will be appearing at the party full of presents for the less fortunate children there. The recovery team is collecting toys that will be given out at the Christmas party. Anyone who has usable toys they wish to donate can drop them off at the O’Fallon Fire Department or Moonlight Hall, 104 S. Cherry.

The Needy Family Food Organization has collected food through the local schools which will be dispersed during the Christmas holidays. The donations made by many residents will help a few less fortunate families in O’Fallon have a merrier Christmas.