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| Windy Hill |
Philip Tiemann was
born in New Jersey in 1900. He moved to Brook Road in Cavendish, VT from
Chatham, New Jersey with his wife Isabel (Carr), and three children Wyeth, Ann
and Joyce in 1933. Naming the property Windy Hill Farm, Tiemann wrote of the
family’s early years in Cavendish in “Memoirs of Coming into Vermont
(Cavendish) in the Depression.” The memoir was written in 1966, after his wife
had died (1958) and just a few years before his own death in 1969.
In 2015, CHS
serialized the Memoirs over a 30 week period, which can be read on line
starting with the Prelude. Below is an excerpt pertaining to how they celebrated
Christmas.
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| 1930s Christmas card |
Having the big room ready in time for Christmas was a
"must." We always have made that day a very special one. While in
1933 there was little to spend, we tried to get a few of the things the
children wanted most, and interesting packages were arriving from our families.
Everyone was excited at the prospect of cutting our own tree, and a couple of
Sundays ahead of time we spent most of the day in the woods. By good fortune
we came across a small group of balsam firs, which are superior for the
purpose, so got a nice tree and greens as well, and then more greens and small
trees to send away. Red pine is our second favorite, used as sprays or made up
into wreathes. All such things had to be Government-inspected before they could
be sent out of the state, but on request the inspectors used to come around
(before it got to be big business, and a very nice chap looked over our things
and issued tags to be attached. Then it was quite a job bundling them up. But
they made nice and rather unusual presents for the people "at home."
The tree that year (and a good many years since) was set in
the embrasure at the southeast corner of the kitchen. I put it up the afternoon
before Christmas-a chore which sometimes tried my temper considerably. It had
to be uniform and nicely balanced in the stand: a mechanical contrivance, which
after being wound up, caused the tree to revolve slowly while a music-box
played alternately "Holy Night" and "Lord, dismiss us with thy
blessing." Mother had found it about 1907 at Schwartze's in New York, and
every generation has enjoyed "the dancing tree."
Our celebration began on Christmas Eve, altho it was
impractical to-attend church (which in future years we did when we could.) The
children eagerly hung their stockings (large ones, provided for the purpose!)
by the living-room fireplace; then there was singing of carols and reading of
"The Night Before Christmas." After they had reluctantly gone to bed,
Isabel and. I filled the stockings and trimmed the tree. We also set out a
Crèche, with candles. Altho it was late when we retired, we felt assured that
we would not be allowed to oversleep!
And of course the children were down early next morning,
investigating their stockings while I did chores end Isabel got-breakfast. This
was a "party" meal, with. pancakes and sausages to supplement the
usual fruit, cereal and milk, and bread and butter. Housework and necessary
chores came next. Then Isabel said "Well, are we ready?" and the kids
stampeded in' to see the tree,- not but that they had doubtless peeked earlier!
Wyeth throu the switch to start the stand turning and playing and then the
three handed around the gifts piled under the tree while Isabel and. I relaxed.
Soon the floor was strewn with remnants of gay wrappings, as we all opened and
displayed our things with happy exclamations. The only thing, which could.
have made it more enjoyable would have been the presence of other members of
the family.
The day we marked by drifting snow,- "five feet deep at
the barn doors,” and a contribution of
eight eggs from the new hens. Also, despite the weather, company came for a
very pleasant supper. After this very successful day, all hands were glad
enough to turn in, and found it especially comforting to stretch out between
cotton blankets with which we had replaced the linen sheets; they were much
warmer.
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