“The Christmas Tree,” after Winslow Homer, Harper’s Weekly, 25 Dec. 1858. Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain.

Christmas is almost upon us and, frankly, I’ve been too busy—and too tired—this month to write much for the blog. It’s certainly not for lack of topics or sources. I have the beginnings of over 60 [sic!] blog posts sketched out already, and a huge pile of fascinating documents and images set aside to illustrate those posts. The amount of interesting material is daunting, and organizing each topic into one or more coherent posts takes time and energy that have been hard to come by these past few months. Now it’s late December and I’m looking forward to visits from family that will keep me happily preoccupied until early January.

I’ll be back with new material after the New Year. In the meanwhile, below are links to a few holiday-themed favorites from past years for your (re-)reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy them. And in 2026, I look forward to an exciting (and more consistently productive!) year of discoveries here at Clark House Historian.

“Dear Santa…”

Check out my own 2024 “Dear Santa” letter, a Clark House Historian’s Christmas Wish List of projects and materials for future research and museum development (and the necessary funds to make them happen, of course!). Most of these wishes from last year are still unfulfilled as we begin 2026, but check out Santa Came! for a notable exception: a research “present” from early 2025.

Kriss Kringle’s Christmas Tree [title page], E. Ferrett & Co., Philadelphia, 1845. Library of Congress

Santa Claus Visits Milwaukee, 1867

In Santa Claus Visits Milwaukee, 1867, we look at the different approaches to celebrating (or not celebrating) Christmas in America, with a special focus on Clark-era Wisconsin. Featuring first-person observations from the Clark’s pioneering neighbor and fervent Methodist preacher, James W. Woodworth, who had doubts about the wisdom and usefulness of sermons for children and the whole Santa Claus business in general.

Wagner, T. S. Lithographer. The Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Marlboro Street, Kensington, Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, 1840, P.S. Duval Lithography, Philadelphia. Library of Congress.

A True Story! from an unexpected source

And for those of you that like a true story, don’t miss Christmas-Tide: an 1860s Turck family tale, as told by my great-grandmother, Josephine Turck Baker. Josephine was Mary (Turck) Clark’s niece, and the granddaughter of Mequon pioneer Peter Turck. She was born in Milwaukee in 1858, the daughter of Mary Clark’s younger brother, James B. Turck,

Josephine Turck Baker, pub. 1907

Forward!

As always, thank you for reading Clark House Historian. I appreciate your interest in the history of the Jonathan Clark House, the Clark family, their friends & neighbors, and their world.

I also value and enjoy your feedback. Please let me know what you think about the blog or a particular post, or ask questions about the Clarks and their era. You can use the “Leave a comment” form at the end of each post to make a public comment, or you can send me a private message via the Contact form on the main menu. I’d love to hear from you.

I wish you all peace and joy this Christmas and in the coming New Year. I’ll be back in 2026 with new content and fresh discoveries. See you then!

Jonathan Clark House, front parlour Christmas tree and window decorations, December, 2024. Photo credit: Reed Perkins