Valley frontiersman., 1951-12-20

first ChrlStrnaS III A1dShd' d1Ao that Christmas the Valley had what was probably the biggest Christmas party that it has seen before or since.
 From Mrs. Neil Miller's files on the history of the Colony the interested Cheechako can learn all about the joys and tribulations of those early days. According 70 these records, plans for the 1885 Christmas we're in progress long before Thanksgiving. The Alaska Steamship Company, the Ameri- can Red Cross chapters at Seattle and San Francisco-the two ports from which the Colonists had sailed the previous spring-and the Sears Roebuck Company were determined to give the Colonists a Christmas to remember for their first in Alaska. Local peo- ple were equally determined.
 Christmas was on Wednesday that year, and the big Valley par ty was scheduled for the previous Saturday. Early in November a local committee was selected 70 make arrangements for the party. One of the main tasks was the taking of a child census which was to include all the Native children. those of the pre-Colony nioneers, and the Colony chll- dren. Mrs. Neil Miller and Mrs. T. M. Sandvik were on the local committee. Mrs. Miller recalls that she was so busy with plans in November that she almost for got about Thanksgiving.
 One Native woman, a Mrs. Lee Harrison mushed in 28 miles Vla the railroad track from Eklutna to report the number of children at her end of the Valley.
 On December 5 the Matanuska Valley Record worried the pro- gress on the new Community Hall where the party was to be held. Recent high winds have somewhat delayed the erection of the big roof trusses of the Community Hall, but if nothing unforeseen happens the place will be enclosed for the big event"
 Don Irwin, ARRC manager drew up an intricate schedule TOT the Colony busses to bring every one from all over the Valley to the party that Saturday after noon.
 Those bus routes in the early Colony days when we all had te depend on them were really something", Mrs. Miller recalls We might start out on Fishhoos Road and before we reached des' tination. we'd been to Wasilla Knik, Matanuska, the old Kind eren place, and Bailey Hill. Tha' day the busses ran all afternoon and evening"
 In spite of all the difficulties however. almost everyone go there and there was roof over their heads. Two thousand people were there. The roughly finished interior was hidden under a cam suflage of Christmas decoratlon' and greens, and two beautiful Christmas trees nanked the stage The Alaska Steamship Company Christmas Ship entertainers were first on the program with song and speciality acts. After distrlo uting candy, nuts, and othe goodies, Santa Claus and hl troupe had to mush on to An shorage and other points in thei Alaskan trip.
 A huge load of presents wa distributed after Santa had left Sears Roebuck had sent present for 592 children under eight year of age, and there were many oth CT gifts from the two Red Cros chapters, the Alaska Steamship Company, and the local fund Following the distribution, ther was a special drawing for 50 sled and wagons from the Commis sary. Names of all the childrel in the Valley were put in a hat and Bill Bouwens picked out tn names of the lucky winners.
 The Christmas holidays in 193