Our Christmas Adventure!

William Allen White's Typewriter

     

For many years, my husband and I have wanted to tour the William Allen White home, and when we were near Emporia, Kansas we would stop by to see if their home was open for tours.  We were never lucky enough to find Red Rocks, the name they gave their home, open for tours.

    So, when we learned that they were having a special Holiday celebration at the house on December 9, 2024, we set the alarm clock to get up in time to drive to Emporia. What a wonderful tour we had!  

    I think the first time I was aware of White was in high school, when we read the Editorial/obituary he and his wife wrote for their daughter.  It is such a lovely tribute to her, and although she died in 1921, over the years it has been read by countless numbers of people.

    He is also famous for his editorial titled "What's the Matter with Kansas?" in which he criticized Populist leaders for failing to keep up with the economy of surrounding neighboring states.

    As a newspaper man, the respect he earned was not limited to Kansas.  Not only did his writing appear in his Emporia Gazette, but his editorials were widely reprinted. His reputation brought him many friends, and among those friends who came to stay in his home were Theodore Roosevelt, Douglas Fairbanks, Edna Ferber, Dorothy Canfield, and Herbert Hoover.

    Among his many achievements, perhaps the most notable was his decision to run for governor of Kansas.  He took the decision seriously, and he campaigned across the state; however, his motive had a bigger purpose than simply running for the office of governor.  The Ku Klux Klan had begun to expand into Kansas, and White used his campaigning to warn Kansans about the danger of the Klan.  He did not win the office of Governor, but his speeches were credited with helping to block the spread of the Klan.

    If you are not familiar with William Allen White, it is worth your time to do some research about this well-known and highly respected Kansan.  He should not be forgotten.  

    A wonderful crowd attended the open house, and a professor from the college entertained us with her harp, playing Christmas music.  The volunteer hostesses were well informed and graciously shared information about each room. It was exciting to me to see the small typewriter that he used to write the newspaper articles and books that brought him fame.

    The house is lovely, and I could not help but look around the room as I enjoyed the music, imagining the famous men and women who had shared the hospitality of the house before me.

    During World War II, the City of Emporia raised $25,000 in war bonds and they were given naming rights for a B-29 bomber.  They chose to name it the William Allen White.  It was part of the same bomber squadron that the Enola Gay was in.

    William Allen White's autobiography was published posthumously in 1946, and it won the Pulitzer Prize for Biograph/Autobiography.  We came home with our own copy of his book, as well as another book and wonderful memories of the day.

Decorating for Christmas

When I was a child, we always had a freshly cut tree, usually bought at the grocery store.  I still cherish memories of decorating the family tree together, and I miss the fresh cut smell that filled the house.  

When my husband and I married, we lived in a trailer house, and there was no room for a tree.  The first real Christmas tree, with ornaments of our own, was in our apartment near the military base, where my husband served in the Air Force.  Year by year, our collection of ornaments grew, and we added many on trips, bringing home ornaments as souvenirs.  As our holiday collection increased, we got bigger trees, and eventually we decorated more than one tree.  When we lived in large cities, I loved shopping in stores the day after Christmas, when decorations were marked down in price.  Gradually our holiday collections expanded.

I love decorating for holidays--Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter--but Christmas is the best.  This year we have three full-size trees and one rather large tabletop tree, as well as decorations on every surface I can find!  My husband suggested that I be satisfied with two trees this year, but I insisted on a third tree, and this year, it is the Oz tree.  When we lived in other states, we were often asked jokingly if we knew Dorothy, or if we had been in a tornado.  Most people did not know much about Kansas, but they knew about the Wizard of Oz.  

Just for fun, I set Scare Crow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Dorothy near the tree to share the holiday with us. 

For a few days we will be sharing our home with not only the Oz characters but also angels and snowmen and Santa Clauses and characters from the Nutcracker, and best of all, with friends and family.  

Best wishes and happy holidays!