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Article: Clarke House is decked out for Christmas
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- December 11, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1998 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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The Clarke House Museum on the Near South Side is providing a
look at some of the country's earliest Christmas customs. Chicago's
oldest surviving house is decorated in the style of the mid-1850s,
when modern holiday customs were evolving and decorating for
Christmas was becoming popular.
"When the Clarke House was built (in 1836), Christmas was a
legal holiday in only one state. Americans observed it quietly and
simply," said curator Ellen Manyon. "By the 1850s, when the house
was completed (with renovations), changes had taken place in both
Chicago and Christmas customs.
"Railroads brought merchandise, evergreens and exotic fruits and
berries into the city. Merchants sold toys and ...