Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - December 29, 1998
By Barbara Carney
Vigo County Historical Society

Feather tree a forerunner to modern Christmas tree

A decorated feather tree typical of the late 1800s stands on a table in the Victorian parlor on the second floor of the Vigo County Historical Museum.

Hanging on the tree is an assortment of ornaments that have been lovingly saved and passed down from generation to generation.

The papier-mache pear pictured is reminiscent of the early edible ornaments used in the mid 1800s. A glass-blown horn and a cardboard angel surrounded with tinsel also are among the assortment of decorations on display. These are a sampling of the embellishments that have adorned Christmas trees for more than a century.

The turn of the century marked the beginning of the commercially made ornament. Late 19th-century trees were often decorated with handmade sugary ornaments along with a profusion of store-bought creations of tin, wax, tinsel, cardboard and glass.

Aside from a few confections prepared for the retail market, the oldest commercially made Christmas ornaments were fashioned of tin. Glass-blown creations soon followed; both types of ornaments were imported from Germany.

The story goes that in 1880, the suggestion was made to F.W. Woolworth that he begin selling the glass ornaments in his variety stores.

"You can’t sell me any foolish thing like that," he supposedly said. A few years later, he wisely changed his mind, took a buying trip to Germany, purchased more than 200,000 ornaments and greatly added to his fortune.

Soon the Victorian tree with its unique ornaments will be packed away for another year, only to be brought out in December 1999 to add to the beauty of the holidays at the Historical Museum for another Christmas.

Happy New Year to all!

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.