Presque Isle: The Star City

It has been a tradition for our President to light a national Christmas tree beginning in 1923 with President Calvin Coolidge.

In 1954, the scope of the national Christmas tree program was broadened in 1954 to emphasize the desire for peace through the spirit and meaning of Christmas. The ceremony then officially became known as the Pageant of Peace. President Eisenhower was, therefore, the first President to light the national Christmas tree for the Pageant of Peace.

The Pageant was held on the Ellipse, a grassy area to the south of the White House. Since the Ellipse serves many purposes throughout the year, a cut tree rather than a living tree was used until 1972.

On December 22, 1959, President Eisenhower returned from a trip to Europe. He kicked off the “Pageant of Peace Program” at 4:30 p.m. on December 23 by lighting the National Tree and broadcasting a special message to the world.

The pageant ran from December 23 to December 31 with states, territories, and even foreign nations contributing Christmas trees and/or symbols to the “Pathway of Peace”, a path leading to the National Christmas Tree.

The pageant featured live reindeer, an Eskimo family, arts and crafts from children around the world, youth representing Youth for Christ International, and a Yule Log pit.
It is estimated that 500,000 people saw the Pageant in person with many millions watching the events on television.

For the first time since the beginning of the Pageant, decorators spread a green dye on the ground to give the Ellipse a “fresh” look.

Foreign embassies, who had been absent in 1958, rejoined the celebration.

The program included a life-size nativity scene, and a stage for nightly performances.

On the podium with the President for the lighting were: Mrs. Eisenhower, the Santa Barbara Youth for Christ Chorale from California, and the Little Singers of Paris, and American choral group.

A Greek Orthodox vespers service closed the first night of the program.

The President was introduced by Fred Seaton, Secretary of the Interior.

President Eisenhower lit the tree at 5:15 p.m.

In planning for Presque Isle’s Centennial, which occurred in 1959, Mr. Carlton Corliss of the Association of American Railroads and Congressman Clifford G. McIntire suggested that Presque Isle bid for the right to present President Eisenhower with the National Christmas Tree for 1959.

The Executive Director of the Christmas Pageant of Peace, Clarence Arata, notified the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce on March 20, 1958 that the bid had been accepted.

A search then ensued for a tree that would meet the stringent specifications of the chief horticulturist of the National Capital Parks Department, George Harding. Over the next few months, over 500 trees were screened. In October, a tree in Presque Isle was selected by the committee. George Harding declared the tree ‘as fine a tree as had ever been submitted’.

The tree that was chosen was a 70 foot white spruce from the Elmbrook farm of Miss Alice Kimball. The tree, estimated to be over 100 years old, had a diameter at the base of 22 inches with a branch spread of approximately twenty-eight feet. The weight of tree was estimated to exceed three tons.

The white spruce is common to our area and is sometimes referred to as a cat spruce.

This was the first tree:

• from a private citizen and not from a National Forest; and
• ever used from East of the Mississippi.

The shop class at Presque Isle High School builds the frame to secure the tree on the truck and railroad flatcar.

Various crew members including Santa wait for the cutting festivities to begin.

Many individuals, organizations, and businesses were involved in bringing this project to fruition.
John A. Dow, chairman of the National Christmas Tree Project Committee of the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce, was a key figure in the project.

The crane is mired in mud causing a further delay.

The giant crane, provided by Maine Public Service, is finally swung into place.

All necessary safety precautions are taken prior to the actual cutting of the tree. The entire Maine Public crew on hand works to secure hundred of yards of rope to the tree.

Fred Beck, John Dow, and Gus Nadeau work on the tree.

Once the tree is cut, it is delicately and carefully lowered to the ground using the yards of rope that were attached.

The lowering of the tree was actually more time consuming than the actual cutting as the tree was not simply dropped as a tree being cut for timber would have been. The tree’s branches had to be handled carefully as this tree represented Presque Isle and Maine and was to be viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.

Once the tree was cut and lowered, it next had to be loaded onto a flatbed truck on the frames built by the High School Shop class for transport to the railroad car.

Snow adds to the holiday air.

The tree is loaded onto a truck.

Arthur Bennett (tree committee, Moderne Cleaners & Furniture)
Vaughn Cole
John Dow (chairman, tree committee, John A. Dow, Inc.)
Frank Hayes (tree committee, Hayes Super Service)
Fred Beck (tree committee, Beck & Beck)
Norman Aubin (tree committee, Northern Printers)
Gus Nadeau (B & A Railroad)

Frank Hayes, Vaughn Cole, Arthur Bennett, Fred Beck, Gus Johnson (Chairman, City Council), John Dow, Gus Nadeau, Joe Freeman (President, Chamber of Commerce), and John Henchey (City Manager).

Awaiting a train ride to the Capitol

Pictured here on November 30, the tree waits for transfer to the Bangor & Aroostook flatcar.

As seen with the Washington Monument in the background.

The tree is decorated with 3800 bulbs.

Sources:

http://www.nps.gov/whho.historyculture/1954-1960-national-christmas-trees.htm
Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce