Tag Archives: Christmas

- Happy Holidays from the Out of the Box Editors

Published 21 December 2012

Cover of the December 1938 issue of the Beacon, a monthly newspaper published by the inmates of the Virginia Penitentiary, Film 2319, Virginia Newspaper Collection, Library of Virginia.The editors of Out of the Box are taking some time off for the holidays.  We’ll see you next year! In the meantime, checkout our letter to Santa post and a holiday post from our friends at the Fit to Print newspaper blog.

-Bari, Jessica and Roger… read more »

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- All I Want For Christmas Is…

Published 19 December 2012

Cover of Leslie's Illustrated Weekly, 12 December 1907. (Image used courtesy Library of Virginia Special Collections.)
Children mailing Santa Claus letters from the Virginia State Chamber of Commerce Collection, circa 1930s. (Image used courtesy Library of Virginia Special Collections.)

On 16 December 1895, 12-year-old Mamie M. Yates wrote a letter to Santa Claus. It read:

Dear Santa Claus,

I will write to you to tell you what I want you to bring me. I want a sled and Robinson Crusoe and a pair of nice gloves and some ribbon for my hair and a writing tablet and some candy, oranges, nuts, raisins, banannas [sic] and caramels and apples and a cap for my doll.

Your little girl,

Mamie M. Yates

The letter did not make it to the North Pole. It somehow ended up in the Lunenburg County courthouse filed in the clerk’s records and became part of the Lunenburg County (Va.) Clerk’s Records of John L. Yates, 1878-1934 circa (Barcode 1046171). John L. Yates, Mamie’s father, was the circuit court clerk for Lunenburg County at the time the letter was written. Although the letter did not reach its destination, I’m sure Santa had a good idea about what to bring Mamie for Christmas.

-Greg Crawford, Local Records Coordinator… read more »

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