Various tales of the first Christmas tree

Who had the first Christmas tree in America? There seems no general agreement, but here are some of the claims: The first tree was used in Lancaster, Pa., in 1821; in York, Pa,, in 1823; or in Harrisburg, Pa., in 1823. In any case, Christmas trees were being mentioned in many Pennsylvania newspapers by the 1830s.

The first tree was used in Farmington, Iowa, in 1845 by George Schramm, who later became a state senator. He claimed that his father had a tree in Circleville, Ohio, in 1838. Wooster, Ohio, had a tree in 1847, or at least the city has a plaque that says so.

The first tree in Illinois was described in a book that said it was in the 1833 home of a German who later became lieutenant governor. Another claim is that the first tree was used at the Zion Lutheran Church in Cleveland in 1851. The church’s live fir tree was decorated with cookies and lighted candles. Church members laughed at the tree, thinking it was a devilish “old-world custom” that the new pastor had brought from Germany.

We are told the earliest drawing of an American Christmas tree is in a book published in York, Pa., in 1821 or in a Boston book from 1836, or in a Philadelphia book from 1845. How do we know about all these claims? Because every time we write about the first American tree, we hear of another one. Do you know of one we have missed?

My oval side table is mahogany. It’s marked “Imperial, Grand Rapids, Mich.” What can you tell me about it?

Imperial Furniture Co. was founded in 1903 by F. Stuart Foote, who had already spent 10 years working for his father at the Grand Rapids Chair Co. Imperial was sold in 1954. The company specialized in making tables, desks and bookcases in Mission and colonial revival styles. Your table, which is most likely colonial revival because it’s oval (Mission has square angles), probably dates from the 1930s.

My plates picturing a whale are marked “Dorchester, CAH, N. Ricci, IMEHH.” Does the mark tell you anything?

Your plates were made by the Dorchester Pottery of Dorchester, Mass. The pottery was started by George Henderson in 1895. The blue-and-white pottery that was made by Dorchester from 1940 until it went out of business in 1979 is a favorite of collectors. Decorations were painted and incised. Whales, ships, pine cones, blueberries and other similar designs were popular. The letters “CAH” were for Charles Hill, a decorator who also marked some things “IMEHH” (In Memoriam, Ethel Hill Henderson) in memory of his sister, who was George Henderson’s wife. N. (Nando) Ricci was a potter.

I have a 4-inch-long vase-shaped vial with a hole at either end. What is it and what was it used for?

You can amuse and amaze your guests by serving your holiday toddy with your vial. It’s a toddy lifter, which was used to siphon toddy or punch from a punch bowl to a cup without spilling. Glass toddy lifters were made in Scotland, Ireland and England from about 1790 to 1840.

I just discovered the Palmer Cox Brownie books. I know they are old, but the drawings and stories have delighted me. An elderly friend told me that she remembers a Brownie game similar to bowling, only the pins had Brownie faces. Are there any other Brownie items?

The Brownies were little imps who played while most of us slept. They did good deeds using some of their magic. Sometimes they were foolish and got into trouble. Brownies were male or female, from many ethnic backgrounds and with various interests. Palmer Cox created the stories and the drawings, which first appeared in a magazine in the 1880s. The first Brownie book was published in 1883, and 12 more followed. He licensed the illustrations and in 1891 registered them under the new copyright laws. The Brownies were used in advertising by Lion Coffee, Nabisco and Cordova Coffee. George Eastman chose the Brownies in 1900 to promote his new box camera.

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Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Blue Ridge vegetable bowl, round, Poinsettia pattern, 10 inches, $45.

Christmas ornament, “Our First Christmas Together,” ball shape, Hallmark, box, 1979, $55.

Toy GE refrigerator, Hubley, green, decal on door, nickel-plated ice-cube tray, 7 inches, $205.

Flexible Flyer racing sled, c. 1935, 52 inches, $210.

Cranberry glass syrup, Inverted Thumbprint, pewter top, Hobbs, c. 1883, 73⁄4 inches, $385.

Maple mantel, carved, molded top, corbels, c. 1910, 47 x 57 inches, $420.

American Character Betsy McCall doll, vinyl socket head, sleep eyes, white gown, 1958, 24 inches, $455.

Christmas stand, painted green, with receptacles and outlets, cast iron, Peerless, 1930s, $500.

Elizabeth Arden perfume bottle, Baccarat, “It’s You,” hand holding torch, gilt highlights, milk glass base, marked, “1935-45,” 61⁄2 inches, $600.