TIME MACHINE ... 1894, 1956, 1972, 1897

(Reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archives material)

December, 1894
(Peninsula Enterprise- Accomac Court House)

Excursion.

The N. Y. P. & N. R.R. Co., will run an excursion train from Keller station to Pocomoke, next Tuesday, 18th, at regular excursion rates, leaving Keller at 8:10 a. m., Melfa 8:15, Onley 8:22, Tasley 8:28, Parksley 8:39, Bloxom 8:51, Hallwood 9:00, Bloomtown 9:05, Oak Hall 9:10, New Church 9:25, arriving at Pocomoke 4 p. m., giving all who go six hours to visit and examine the large stores which are just loaded with Christmas goods. Special bargains will be offered to all who go. Those wishing Xmas goods will more than make their expenses by taking advantage of this cheap trip.

Footnote: Assuming 4 p.m. arrival time was a misprint. Perhaps 4 p.m. was the departure time from Pocomoke. 

December, 1956
(The Salisbury Times)

POCOMOKE CITY IS COLLECTING GIFTS FOR YULE

POCOMOKE CITY- During a recent meeting of the Pocomoke City Community Civic Council, the president, Fred Henderson, announced plans for the annual Christmas  drive, and called upon the community for cooperation.

The council is made up of representatives from each of the clubs and organizations in Pocomoke, and was set up to serve as a coordinating agency for the charitable activities.

Clubs and organizations of Pocomoke have responded with gifts of new and used toys, clothing and shoes, canned goods, groceries, meats, and gifts of money. But more is needed , Mr. Henderson said. 

The council has prepared boxes and has placed them in most of the Pocomoke stores to receive donations.

Donations may be left at the Pocomoke Firehouse on Fifth Street, or at St. Mary's Parish House on Third Street.

Those donating money should make checks payable to the Community Civic Council.

For anyone unable to send donations to the firehouse or the Parish House, a pick-up service is available by calling Mrs. Lee Graff, 476-W, or the Rev. Roger C. Jones, 1023, or the Rev. William M. Reed, 967. 


December, 1972 (Time Machine archive.)

Pocomoke's annual Christmas concert by the Salem United Methodist Church choir was scheduled with members of other area church choirs also participating. Barry Tull of Pocomoke City would play trumpet and Miss Carol Cherrix of Snow Hill would be flutist. Choir director Mrs. Naomi Stevenson would be organist. Vocal soloists from Pocomoke would include Miss Julia Ann Ball, Mrs. Betsy C. Massey, Mrs. Peter Thompson, Miss Susan Humphreys, Mrs. Frederick White, and Miss Nancy Henderson, plus Mrs. Elwyn Cooper of Stockton.


(Holiday recollection)

The Coffman-Fisher clothing store in Pocomoke City was located at the corner of Second and Market Streets. Once a year, for the Christmas season, they'd set up a large toy department upstairs. The store had a second-floor balcony level and from there a long flight of steps led up to the toy department.- tk 

(It appears from the article below that more than a century ago it was Christmas eve that was the most anticipated time for holiday shopping.) 

December 24, 1897 (Time Machine archive)
(Woodland Daily Democrat- Woodland, California)

CHRISTMAS EVE

Children Will Catch A Glimpse Of Fairyland

People With Christmas Memories In Their Minds And Christmas Cheer In Their Hearts

Those who have had the opportunity to watch the people surge up and down the street this afternoon know is has been a busy day for the merchants, and without the use of the calendar they could easily determine the date. Indeed, if a resident of one of the planets could drop in on us unannounced he would know it was the day before Christmas on account of the industrious manner in which people are picking up odds and ends to fill the toe and heel of the Christmas stocking and add to the happiness of Santa Claus' day.

And this holiday rush will continue far into the evening because Christmas Eve is everybody's evening. It is the evening when all take the evening off from the ordinary occupations of their ordinary existences and spend that evening down town in the interests of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is the evening when the day laborer and the capitalist rejoice together in common cause that work is over, at least for a brief season. It is the evening when the best girl shares the pleasure of the best young man. It is the evening when whole families of young children get their first glimpse of the fairyland of Christmas and of the treasures piled high behind protecting windows, and of the white-whiskered and mysterious old man who shakes their hands, takes their names and promises them on the faith of a Santa Claus a present of a doll or a drum on Christmas morning.

This evening being Christmas eve the electric lights on the streets, the electric lights over the store entrances, the electric lights that mist fantastically across the facade of tall buildings will flare their brightest radiance for the benefit and happiness of the passing throng. Windows will blaze with twinkling jets and reflect the shades of tinted glows upon the colors of the goods below. Light and darkness will chase each other up and down a continuous chain decorating the edge of our tallest structures. Lights will flicker from the branches of the Christmas trees and gladden the hearts of the children.

Christmas eve is the night when the green foliage of Christmas brings a breath of spring, and this evening it will be a cheerful spectacle to see the bright holly leaves, shining with the seasons good will, the hollie berries, red as the season's charity, the mistletoe hinting at future pleasures and the joys of future frolics, the evergreens filling the streets with Christmas odors and the minds of the passing throng with Christmas memories and their hearts with Christmas cheer. This evening windows will blaze with light and glow with color. Pavements will resound with noisy clamor. Stores that are filled with a bewildering wealth of holiday treasures will be thronged with eager, admiring purchasers. But after all it will be the people who give life and animation to the spectacle that will make the scene worth seeing, and the night worth living. It will be a crowd to watch and mingle in, to become part of it in the pleasure, in contentment, in wonder and in that satisfactory feeling of accomplished work and anticipated rest.

　
(Spirit of the season)
 
Last weekend my wife and I were dining at a popular Salisbury restaurant. When it came time to pay, the waitress said "Your check has been taken care of. Have a nice day." We were shocked, of course. We were unaware of anyone whom we knew being in the restaurant and we asked who had paid our check. The waitress pointed to a man and woman dining nearby. I went over to express our thanks and asked why they had done this. The reply, with a smile, "Merry Christmas." I said "thank you but you shouldn't have done that." The reply, again, "Merry Christmas." -tk

　
Do you have a Christmas memory or other local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!