A Christmas Message
We wish to extend our best wishes for a joyful holiday season to all of our readers. This year will be noted in history as the “year of the pandemic” yet we are determined to find the joy in Christmas. I think of our pioneer ancestors and the founders of our village. It was in the beginning, a hard hand to mouth existence. A Christmas tree at that time was an unknown custom and gifts, if available at all, were handmade or perhaps fruit or nuts. And yet they still found joy in Christmas. Our German forbears brought the custom of a decorated tree and our later 1800s Watervillians found much more opportunity as the village prospered. Today most families find joy in decorating a Christmas tree as well as much of the house, and in presents under the tree. Perhaps too much glitz, glamor and commercialism, but even so the joy of Christmas continues on through the history. And as we emerge from the cloud of this pandemic in our new year, may you all find some sunshine of things being normal again.
We at the Historical Society hope later this New Year to present in person programs again for the public, to open our museums and to welcome visitors to the Archives for research or just for the love of history. So please keep tuned! We also need your support to even exist so please join and/or donate. Thanks so much to readers and supporters. You can join through the website at www.watervillehistory.org .Then just click on “join and give.”