HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION ~ 1932 STYLE
Waterville held a big Halloween carnival with parade and contests on October 31, 1932. The event was sponsored by the Waterville Chamber of Commerce in a novel ‘All Saints Eve Frolic’ that offered many prizes. A newspaper article found in the Wakeman Archives described the event as follows:
“A parade will be headed by the village fire department starting at 8:15. The line of march will be from Graf’s garage to Third, to Mechanic, to the railroad to Farnsworth road and repeat. Business houses have promised several floats, and the school buses will take part. During the parade prizes of ice cream bars and loaves of bread will be thrown to the crowd. Masqueraders must be in the parade to be eligible for prizes. A program of stunts and contests will follow the parade. Third Street will be roped off for the games.
”Businessmen of the community have donated 60 prizes. First and second prizes will be given for the best decorated float in the parade, most comic and most grotesque costumes, worst hard time costume, the best pair of twins, the most dilapidated car (which must run under its own power) and the largest pumpkin, etc. In other contests prizes will be awarded to winners in the two-mile run, the peanut race, three-legged race, wheelbarrow race, nail driving contest for ladies, relay race, 100-yard dash, rolling-pin throw and apple bobbing.
“ The list of prizes and donors were: Kurtz Garage, 5 mile tow-in or grease job; Gulf Filling Station, 1 quart oil; Hi-Speed Filling Station, 1 quart of oil; The Home Lunch, apple pie a la mode, Esmond’s ice cream; Clark Roach, shampoo or haircut; Bob Cashen, shampoo or haircut; Sid Van Tassel, shampoo or haircut; Junior High School class, two free tickets to Junior play; High School Athletic Association, two free tickets to basketball game, Waterville School Faculty, good grades to all who study hard; Tom Hahn, two jugs sweet cider; Stickney Electric Co., six 25-watt bulbs.
“Also Wm. Disher Waterville Post Master, 1 year courteous service to all; Waterville State Savings Bank, $1.00 savings account to new saver under 17; Metcalf & Klatt, 5 lb cup grease, Monomobile; Rupp’s Store, merchandise; Kroger Grocery, merchandise, Starkweather, merchandise; Waterville Service Store, merchandise; Foster Garrett, merchandise; Waterville Garage, 1 battery recharged; Waterville Hatchery, 25 chicks or 100 egg.
“Fred England, two games pool free; A.L. Mills, nickel Plate R.R. free use of waiting room for all passenger traffic; Waterville Elevator, “We’ll grind your grist”; Dr. H.F Gschwend, 1 free veterinary trip; Dr. B.B Buck, 1 office call, Dr. W.A. Suter, 1 office call; Koch Lumber Co,. can of paint or equivalent on roll of roofing, W.W. Farnsworth, apple butter; W.G. Farnsworth Co., 1 bottle of grape juice.
“Marion Utz, 1 basket assorted apples; Ray Donnan, 1 Christmas tree; Long’s Dairy, 2 quarts milk delivered in city; Cliff Gallup, 2 quarts milk delivered in city; Paul Wingate, 2 quarts milk delivered in city; Waterville Ice Co, 1 cake ice; Droessler’s Meat market, merchandise; Waterville Gas Co., double discount on October bill.
“Fife’s Restaurant, 6 bowls soup; Waffle Dog, 5 school tablets. Ernest Delventhal, ‘I will advise landscaping your yard”; Waterville print Shop, discount on job printing; Waterville Times & Chronicle, Posters and 1 years subscription to new subscriber.
“Lutheran church, free sermon most any Sunday a. m.; Howard Allion, ‘I will haul the stone for your repair job’; Methodist church, free sermon most any Sunday a. m.; Buerch and Gschwend repair job; Ed Keller, ‘I’ll solder your milk can’; Witte Hardware; pair paring knives; Presbyterian church, free sermon most any Sunday a. m.; Haley’s Shoe Shop, 1 pair rubber heels; Ezra Fox, merchandise; C.M. Gray, 2 bushels potatoes; Waterville Electric Light Co., decorations; Franklin Creamery, 11 ice cream cones.”