Christmas in Downtown Oklahoma City

(In the 1950s – When I Was a Kid)

One of my earliest memories is my visit with Santa Claus in 1953. It was in the basement of the John A. Brown department store in downtown Oklahoma City, where I lived until moving away in 1990. In some ways that is a faded memory but in other ways it remains crystal clear. I still have a newspaper photo taken of me and Santa to prove my recollections are true.

Before Penn Square Mall opened in 1960, families living in North OKC had to travel downtown to do any kind of serious shopping. One of my favorite memories of that era is driving south on North Classen Boulevard to head downtown for Christmas shopping. In those days, the big houses on Classen, which my parents always said was once referred to as “Silk Stocking Row,” were well maintained and brightly decorated for Christmas. The trip downtown came soon after Thanksgiving and was, for me, the kickoff to the Christmas Season. Even today, when I am visiting my hometown, I cannot drive south on North Classen without the thrill and anticipation of those Christmas shopping trips flooding my senses as fresh baked chocolate chip cookies permeate the sense of smell.

And what a kickoff to the season it was! Being downtown on a busy post-Thanksgiving Saturday was a treat in itself. The streets of the city were adorned with hanging decorations and it was fun, after I had gotten a little older, to recall which decorations I had seen over the streets the previous year. Needless to say, it was always a thrill to drive underneath the hanging symbols of the season. To me, driving through downtown OKC was like riding in a moving Christmas tree!

Shopping in the pre-Mall era was quite a bit different than today and that was especially true during Christmas. Common practice for us was to drop Mom off at whichever store she wished to shop first and then ride with Dad to find a parking space. Occasionally, they would simply admit they had some shopping to do for me or Corky and the ride around town was deliberate. There was a Veazey’s Drug Store downtown and Dad somehow always found a parking spot near it. It was part of the fun to go to the store fountain and order a root beer or cherry limeade. (How I miss drug store fountains and greasy hamburgers and fries! But, that is a story for another day.)

But, the best time was the trip to Browns, which usually entailed a second Christmas visit to the downtown area. Santa, as previously stated, was in the basement and sitting on his lap to relate our Christmas wishes was – and remains -- the highlight of the season for kids like me. In a world that has changed much in half a century, this part of Christmas is exactly the same and I am grateful for it, for Santa Claus is eternal and I would not want the relationship between him and the children of the world to change in any way.

It is odd what our brains choose to recall. I easily visualize Mom and Dad juggling sacks and packages, for in those days there were no complimentary shopping tote bags. Shoppers had to fend for themselves! I also recall how busy and crowded downtown could get during this time of year. A busy mall such as the Penn Square Mall or the one I currently work at in my new hometown of Overland Park, Kansas, the Oak Park Mall, can get crowded and noisy, but in a different way than downtown OKC in the 1950s. (Do you suppose that the impressions of a ten year old boy from 50 years ago are different than they are for a 60 year old man today? If you say yes, I cannot argue). Last, but unfortunately not least, I recall the thick smell of diesel smoke from the commercial buses of the era. Downtown on a busy shopping day was not a good time to be too near a passenger bus for several reasons!

The drive home: You would think that driving home from such an emotionally charged trip downtown would lead to an inevitable letdown, but I do not remember this happening. I think it was because the magic of Christmas was enhanced by the sights, sounds and Holiday atmosphere of the downtown area during this very special time of year. When our Lord Jesus Christ walked this earth, he advised us to “come as little children.” It is easy to come as a small child when one is a small child. It doesn’t get harder until later.

I will be 60 years old next month, but a part of me won’t let go of the childlike view of Christmas. I am very grateful this is so. I would not want it otherwise.

Merry Christmas, and may your inner child shine through during this sacred and special time of year. Ask yourself, how has the part of you that has remained ten years old assisted in your appreciation of the Christmas Spirit? Think about this if you have not, for in an uncertain world no one of us knows how many of these Christmas seasons we have left to honor the birth of Jesus Christ and to enjoy fellowship with friends and family.