The year was 1917, thousands of America’s sons were on their way overseas to France to fight the “dreaded Hun” as America entered the slaughter that was World War I. Woodrow Wilson was President of the United States, and Martin G. Brumbaugh was Governor of Pennsylvania.

The big news in sports was the early December sale by the Phillies of star pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander to the Chicago Cubs.

Some of the big popular songs that year were the memorable war anthem “Over There,” “Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here,” “Back Home In Indiana,” and “Oh, Johnny Oh.”

On December 17, the U.S. House of Representatives passed by a vote of 282 to 128 a constitutional amendment calling for the prohibition of alcohol, local Congressman Edgar Kiess voted in favor of the measure.

Locally, in early December, Archibald Hoagland was sworn in as the new mayor of Williamsport after Jonas Fischer had been compelled to resign after finding out that he was not a naturalized American citizen.

That Christmas season, the employees of the J.K. Dayton Shoe Company were feted with a Christmas party and dinner at the Pine Street Methodist Episcopal Church.

L.L. Stearns advertised that it was “a toy wonderland and doll fairyland” with a wide variety of dolls.

The new 1918 Buicks were on display at Williamsport Motor and Supply Company at Third and Elmira streets.

Mary Pickford was starring in “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” in a movie or “flicker” at the Majestic Theater.

A major drive was put on to enroll members locally in the American Red Cross, this was part of a nationwide effort. Joining the Red Cross was seen as a patriotic act since the Red Cross performed many support services for the “doughboys” fighting in France. Former President William Howard Taft did his best to promote the effort by speaking at the Pine Street church on December 22 urging membership in the Red Cross. When the drive was completed, thousands of Lycoming County residents had joined.

Because it was wartime, the Civic Club thought it best not to have its annual Christmas tree placed in front of the Lycoming County Courthouse. Instead, the big electric star which graced the top of each of the club’s municipal Christmas trees were strung on a cable hung above Third Street between the Bush and Bull store and the courthouse. The cable was covered with laurel, and the cable and stars were illuminated by electricity donated by the Lycoming Edison Company.

Patriotism was the keynote of the Christmas Eve celebration held in front of the courthouse. New Mayor Archibald Hoagland turned on the switch that lit up the cable. In addition to Christmas carols, the Repasz Band played patriotic and wartime music, which included “America,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Keep the Home Fires Burning” and the “Star Spangled Banner.”

The Gazette and Bulletin reported that city merchants had a big holiday shopping season.
On Christmas Eve the streets of Williamsport were crisscrossed by happy, busy shoppers and trolleys festooned with holiday decorations were seen everywhere.

Christmas turkeys, cookies, baskets of cheer and candies were donated to the city’s various charitable institutions such as the Home for the Friendless, the Aged Colored Women’s Home, the City Home and the Boy’s Industrial Home, many of these were donated by Senator Charles Sones.

This was a sample of what it was like at Christmas 100 years ago.