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Christmas list wasn't checked Were there any Christmas celebrations in Medford history that you missed in your recent "Since You Asked" response? -- Kris K., White City Ho ho ho; you bet, Kris. Several readers contacted us after our answer to that question. It seems our "SYA" research team somehow forgot to include the early days of the city's Christmas parties. Groups of city residents celebrated Christmas informally in the 1890s. The city's first official Christmas tree was lit in 1915 by Mayor Vernon Emerick. In the 1930s, downtown merchants staged celebrations to mark the opening of the Christmas shopping season. The November 14, 1939 Mail Tribune reported that Main Street would be decorated and Santa Claus would appear on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Christmas celebrations resumed in 1946, after World War II. The Mail Tribune reported a crowd of 15,000 people gathered in downtown for the Dec. 1, 1949, celebration, which featured prizes for some lucky shoppers. In 1953, downtown merchants organized a parade through downtown Medford to open the Christmas shopping season. Newspaper accounts said about 6,000 people attended the parade on Dec. 1, 1954. The parades were held each year through 1957. The city's Christmas tree tradition was revived in 1990, and the downtown Christmas parade resurfaced on Nov. 30, 1999. Send your questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; or by fax to (541) 776-4376; or by e-mail to: [email protected] Please include your name, address and phone number for verification.) Today's News Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA