A Story of Christmastown
1955: Shelton becomes 'Christmastown, USA'
Share
Tweet
December 22, 2022
Journal archives
A photo in the Dec. 15, 1955 Journal shows Fred Peste, owner of the Douglas Fire Christmas Tree Co. in Mason County, shipping a tree from the Lake Cushman area to the Pennsylvania home of President Dwight Eisenhower.
Shelton embraced the nickname "Christmastown, USA" in 1955.
Even the president of the United States ended that year with a Mason County holiday tree gracing his home. At the time, Mason County tree farms were selling more than 1 million Christmas trees a year.
The Shelton-Mason County Journal, which immediately began showcasing the new slogan at the top of each page, chronicled the embrace of the moniker that year, which culminated in December with a Chicago Daily News article that proclaimed, "Shelton is perhaps the most famous Christmas tree center in America."
In February 1955, the Shel...
For access to this article please
sign in or
subscribe.
Reader Comments(0)