History Happenings: Page 1 on the holidays

For those who celebrate, Christmas seems like a day set apart from all the turmoil of day-to-day living. Still and all, the news still gets reported on the holiday, and we were interested in what news might have been delivered to readers of the local press along with Santa’s gifts.

Take, for example, the front page of The Cedar Rapids Tribune (“A Newspaper Without A Muzzle”) on Friday, Dec. 25, 1925. That Christmas, there were five headlines across the top of the page:

“Green Deals Smashing Blow to Alien Agents Who Promote Fascism”

“German Unionist Unfolds Tale of Red Wrecking in the Fatherland”

“Trailing in the Wake of the News: Shall Charity Be Dispensed with Kindly Heart—Or Mean Tongue?”

“Spirit of Peace Marks Industry as the Year Ends Says Sec’y Davis: Principles Underlying The Golden Rule Gaining Strength Daily.”

“Closing Year Finds Employment Steady Throughout Nation.”

The positioning of ideas like “smashing” and “wrecking” alongside notions of “charity” (perhaps delivered meanly) and “peace” is striking. But at least employment was steady.

1930: festive and fatals

On Christmas Day 1930, The Evening Gazette and Republican (3 cents in the city, 5 cents on trains) published a festive holiday header, but the news was less cheery: “13 Killed in 3 Motor Accidents.”

That day’s “Current Comment” feature — written by Verne Marshall and located on the front page — opened this way: “The Christian world still has a great distance to go before it masses its undoubted strength in one mighty driver for the realization of the goal of all its creeds.”

What can the various creeds agree on? According to Marshall, just one thing: “They all are willing to admit that Jesus was born, and that December 25 is His birthday.” (That last bit is probably on some shaky historical ground.)

World War II

World War II was underway when Christmas Day came around in 1940. The United States had not entered the war yet, but issues related to it were emblazoned across the front page of the Cedar Rapids Gazette (“Iowa Interests First”).

The main headline read, “Wheeler: Aid Plan Illegal” and the accompanying story quoted U.S. Sen. Burton K. Wheeler, D-Mont., arguing that President Roosevelt should not send aid to Britain but should instead “bring the warring factions together and insist on a just peace.”

Twenty years later, the Cedar Rapids Gazette (15 cents) greeted Christmas with the headline, “New Berlin Crisis Feared.” The story speculated about a potential conflict due to the failure of West Germany and Communist East Germany to sign a trade pact.

  Buy Photo

Also at the top of the page that year: a cartoon in which Mrs. Claus says to a footsore Santa, “It took longer this year!” Santa blamed the pressures and conventions of modern life: “Think of the population increase — People stay up later watching TV — More parties — It’s hard to get in!”

Biblical references

An illustration of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus — along with some shepherds, wisemen, angels, and camels — dominated the front page of The Gazette on Christmas 1980.

In 2000, the header on the front page quoted Luke’s account of the birth of Christ, but immediately under the masthead it was all football: “Mild concussion sidelines (Kurt) Warner” and “ISU fans in Phoenix rise to the occasion.”

Cedar Rapids native Warner had led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl victory in January 2000 but would not get back to the big game in early 2021. Meanwhile, the ISU Cyclones were headed to the Insight.com Bowl — the team’s first bowl appearance since 1978. Iowa State would defeat Pittsburgh, 37-29, three days after Christmas.

2020: pandemic, derecho

  Buy Photo

On Dec. 25, 2020, The Gazette (“Eastern Iowa’s independent, employee-owned newspaper”) led with, “ ‘The safety net has a big hole’ — Food pantries cope with ‘astonishing’ need.”

Linn County (like everywhere) was still in the grips of the pandemic. The county (unlike other locations) also had suffered the devastation of the Aug. 10 derecho.

“The pandemic — and in Iowa, the derecho — have laid bare the poverty and systemic inequities that have long existed in the world’s wealthiest county, exposing how individuals … have fallen through the cracks of support systems,” reporter Marissa Payne wrote.

The good news in 2020 was that many organizations and individuals stepped up to help, answering that Christmas Day question from way back in 1925 — “Shall Charity Be Dispensed with Kindly Heart—Or Mean Tongue?” — decidedly in favor of the kindly heart.

We wish you and yours peace and happiness, however you celebrate, as the year comes to a close.

Jessica Cline is a Leadership & Character Scholar at Wake Forest University. Her dad, Rob Cline, is not a scholar of any kind. They write this monthly column for The History Center. Comments: HistoricalClines@gmail.com