Christmas social functions in early McCook

When I was growing up in Indianola, we attended the Methodist Church. Mom taught Sunday School and when I was older, I sang in the choir and taught the younger grades in Sunday School, but it is the Christmas celebrations at church that I remember so vividly.

The little ones, myself included, would do a Christmas program about the nativity; the choir sang the wonderful old Christmas hymns; I wore my new dress that my mother made each year and we all basked in the warmth of friendship within that tiny building.

After the program came the best thing of all: the paper bags handed out to each child containing Christmas ribbon candy, salted peanuts in their shells and the precious orange, its’ fragrant citrus odor rising from the bottom! Truly, what more could a child wish for? There may have been a Santa Claus involved in this celebration, but I only remember the beauty of the Christmas story and the feeling that the arms of our whole church community were surrounding us with love.

Church was a very important part of the growth (and gentrification) of the west as it was settled. The first 20 years of front-page news during the holidays centered around what was planned at each church, followed by what families were celebrating together. Congregations gathered in whatever building was available, the early beginnings in dug-outs or tents along the riverbank.

One article in the McCook Tribune hailed back to before there was a newspaper in Red Willow County concerning a Christmas meal shared by the early settlers: Mr. & Mrs. John Byfield, Wash Hinman, J. G. Eaton, George Hunter, Longnecker, Mrs. Shaw, Misses Sarah Nettleton & Mary Keeler with possibly Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Kirkendall and Mr. & Mrs. Sitler in attendance. The meal was organized by “Old Lady Lawton” called so to distinguish her from her daughter-in-law. “Now”, she said, “we will invite some of the Indianola people, and my dears, you must all wear your very best, so they can see what nice ladies we have here (in the Red Willow community), and this county seat trouble will blow over after a while.”

That was not in reference to the county seat fight between McCook and Indianola, for this dinner took place in 1873-1874 era and McCook didn’t even exist. The people attending this dinner came at the invitation of the Old Lady Lawton family, herself, plus Leslie Lawton and wife and Mr. & Mrs. Rowley, gathering at a time of scarcity so the table was spread with cakes made without eggs and prairie chicken pie.

The mode of travel in those days was the farm wagon, with one team, when a person was fortunate enough to possess that. When one of the invitees could not locate his team in order to attend this first social function, he had only the choice of walking two miles in the snow. He dressed in his finest suit, picked up and carried his child, and his wife followed wading through the snow. George Hunter extended a generous offer (for the two men were of differing opinions on the county seat question) to go out of his way and deliver them safely home after the dinner ended. The couple and their child gratefully accepted.

It occurs to me that Old Lady Lawton should be giving advice today. There is nothing like breaking bread or worshiping together to remind us all what is important in life.

Enjoy your time with family and friends and may Peace be with you.

The SWNGS library may have fewer hours during the week of Christmas and New Years Day. Please check our Facebook page for notices of hours.