It’s once again time for children to write letters to Santa Claus. Christmas Eve will see The Commercial Dispatch publishing a Christmas Greetings edition with more than 150 letters from children to Santa.
I wondered when newspapers began publishing children’s letters to Santa. I knew it was a long time ago because I remember them as a child.
A little digging in newspaper archives told the story. In the mid-1800s, stores had advertisements in newspapers suggesting children write a letter to Santa about what they wanted for Christmas, deliver it to the store and the store would deliver it to Santa.
The modern view of Santa was popularized by Thomas Nast’s Santa drawings in Harper’s Weekly. His first Santa drawing appeared in 1863, and in it he created the current image of Santa.
By the 1870s, children were also mailing letters addressed to Santa at the North Pole. As North Pole letters arrived at the Post Office, postal workers began sending what they considered cute letters to local newspapers, which published them. The mid-1880s saw a few newspapers begin soliciting letters to Santa in their own communities.
In Columbus, the city’s two papers – The Commercial and The Dispatch – began to publish a few of the letters that had been published elsewhere. Then in 1908, The Commercial began a local “letters to Santa” column. In 1922, The Commercial and The Dispatch merged and became The Commercial Dispatch. Below is that first column of letters to Santa published 117 years ago.
The Columbus Commercial, December 13, 1908
“The following letters to Santa Claus are from a number of the smaller readers of THE COMMERCIAL. Who are sure that Old Santa will answer every one of these interesting missives. All letters received by us, until next Saturday at noon, will be published in this column, next Sunday.
Columbus, Dec. 10, 1908
Dear Old Santa:
I want to write you a letter and tell you what I want you to bring me. I want that great big doll up to the store. She is dressed in pink and has eye lashes, and I want a game and a book. Will you bring me a doll bed and a neckless? Please bring me a pretty little doll about 11 inches high. I believe I want the doll bed large enough to get the big doll in it if you can get it please. Will you bring me a pretty little pillar for my doll buggy that I have got now? I want many kinds of nuts and fruit. I want to ask you will you bring me many little toys out of the window up to the store, that you think best for me to get. Can you bring me any fire works, and a pair of kid gloves?
Yours always,
Mary Paine Chapman
Columbus, Dec. 10, 1908
Dear Santa Claus:
You are a dear good old man and I want you to bring me a big doll and buggy, a pretty bracelet, a nice game and a dear old Dianna Doll. Don’t forget my “New hat,” I’ll not loose this one. A nice stove to cook on. a piano.
Your little girl,
“Tee Tee” Watson
Columbus, Dec. 10, 1908
Dear Santa Claus: I love you so much and I have been a good boy, haven’t lost my dumb bells yet. Please bring me a Billy goat and wagon. pair of mittens like Arthur Banks. A story Bible. A nice game. A new pencil box. A pistol to shoot and a lot of roman cannons.
Your little boy,
Hugh Watson, Jr.
Aberdeen, Miss., Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa Clause:
I have been a good boy. Please bring me a bicycle and a steam engine. Please bring me some fire works and some checkers and checker board. Please bring me a train that runs on a track. That is enough. This letter is from,
Wiley Johnston.
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa Claus
I have been a good boy. I want you to bring me a tool chest and a little steam engine and a little air gun and please remember all the little poor girls and boys if you have not enough why, give them some of mine, from Robert Whitfield.
P. S- And fire-works please.
Columbus, Miss.
617 College St.
Dec. 11, 1908
My dear Santa Claus:
I would like you to bring me a doll and a painting book so I can paint in it and a pair of kid gloves because my other pair is worn out and a doll trunk and I would like a doll house too and lots of oranges and apples and candy too. good bye
Dear Santa. P. S. Remember the orphans Santa, be sure.
Gladys L. Hills.
Columbus, 1109 College St.
Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa:
I want you to bring me some apples and oranges and some candy. I want you to bring me a tool chest and a book and an engin. Bring me some fire-crackers and some Roman candles. Well I must close.
Your little boy
Mark Warren Eichelberger.
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa claus,
I hope you will come this year. I have been a good boy and I want you to bring me some toys. Please bring me a football. Please bring me oranges and apples and grapes and a steam engine.
your friend,
Lawrence Molloy
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa Claus:
I want you to bring me a train that runs and a tool chest and some, fire works and some, apples. and some, pecans,
your friend
Cris Grace.
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear santa claus:
Please bring me the following Christmas presents for which I will be very thankful: 1 set of Jack straws. 1 wagon big enough to ride in. 1 nice book with pictures, some fire crackers some Fruit and nuts and anything else you think I would enjoy. yours truly
J. T. Senter. Jr.
P. S. Do not come in an airship for you might fall and break all the toys. Jack
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa Claus,
please bring me a black headed doll and a doll and some toys and some fire-works.
Mary Louise Peacher.
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa Claus,
Dear Santa, I want you to bring me a bicycle and some fire works and some candy and fruit and nuts I want a tool chest. I am a good little boy 7 years old. I want a game of sharpshooters and some apples and some oranges and some bananas.
your little friend,
Knox Whitfield.
Dear Santa Claus,
Please bring me a soldier suit and Roaman Candles and some fruit. Dear Mr. Santa Claus how I love you.
John Shearer.
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa Claus:
A box of blocks and a doll buggy and a doll trunk and lots of fire works and a rubber ball and a doll, these are the things I want.
your friend,
Martha Searcy.
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear santa claus
I want a soldur sut and a football and a little Christmas tree at the Surprize store and a horn and a whip and a little air rifel and big flag and sumthing else. Don’t forget little Jack he said he wanted a little singing box and a onnanobile.
Miles Yerby.
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa Claus,
I am a girl ten years old. I want you to please bring me a small doll with black hair, that goes to sleep and has movable limbs. I want some volcanoes, sky rockets, firecrackers, nuts and fruit.
Good bye,
Vivian Chappell
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa Claus,
I am a little girl two and a half years old. I want you to please bring me a doll, doll piano, doll buggy, some candy, fire crackers, nuts and fruit. I love you very much. Jennie Lou Goodson.
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa Claus,
I will write you a letter to tell you what I want. I want you to bring me about four packages of firecrackers and about three boxes of saluts and one box of torpedoes and two sky rockets and I want a wagon and some more toys and nuts and candy. I will thank you for all.
Your friend,
Hubert Lipscomb.
Columbus, Dec. 11, 1908
Dear Santa Claus,
I will tell you what I want you to bring me. Bring me a toy wagon and some firecrackers and some salutes and thunderbolts. I want some sky rockets and a fire engine. I want some nuts and sparklers. I want a horn and some torpedoes and I want some candy.
Your friend,
Joe Lipscomb. I am 9 years old.
Columbus, Dec. 12, 1908
Dear Santa Claus:
While you are on your way around Christmas eve night I wish you would leave me an Irish mail, a train, a magic lantern, a drum, a horn, a book, a gun, a wagon, some nice things to eat and I have a little sister you may bring her a doll and a buggy, set of dishes, rocker, piano and all nice things to eat.
Yours truly,
Carl and Mable Ussery.
Dear Santa Claus
I am a little six-year-old girl I am counting the days till you come. My dolls need new clothes and new furniture. Some of them need new heads and arms. I want a blue cradle for my baby doll, but do please bring me a baby brother. You brought a baby sister to one of my little friends when she wrote to you. I shall thank you for these and anything else you may bring me. I love you dearly, you have been so good to me.
Julia Webb
Columbus, Dec. 12, 1908
Dear Clause
I write you a little letter to tell you what I want for Xmas. Please bring me a big doll and some vases. I want a purse and please bring me a box of handkerchfs, I want a book and also a lamp. I want one little chair and a bed for my doll
Ola Cates
Columbus, Dec. 12, 1908
Dear Santa Claus, North Pole
Please bring me some furs and muff. I want a little table and some chairs and a little waiter and a tea set and some glasses and a story book and all kind of good things.
Sarah Mehaffey.
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
