Tuesday, Dec. 25, 1900
The Christmas Day newspaper was priced at “one cent” in 1900.
The cover was made up entirely of artwork.
There was an angel with a trumpet, holly branches and Santa with presents, standing on a rooftop.
Two frames in the middle of the page represent scenes of family holiday greetings. One titled, “Her first trip home” and the other, “Mamma’s Christmas presents.”
A quote at the bottom of the page read, “Glory to God in the highest - Peace on earth. Good will to men.”
Wednesday, Dec. 25, 1918
World War I had just ended, and it was a special Christmas for Dayton and the whole country.
The top headline was AMERICA CELEBRATES VICTORY CHRISTMAS.
There was a message from President Woodrow Wilson about the world being at peace at Christmas for the first time since 1913.
Prominently in the center of the page was a poem, “The Lord has Given us Christmas Cheer” by S.E. Kiser, about the end of the war.
Multiple stories covered holiday celebrations for soldiers and sailors.
Saturday, Dec. 25, 1920
A Christmas Day comic strip topped the front page in 1920, each pane referencing hardships of the times.
Included in the comic strip was a plea for world peace, a mention of high tariffs on farm goods, high bills and taxes and the hope for a professional baseball team.
There was a birth announcement for two baby girls and a boy born in area hospitals on Christmas Day.
A round-up story covered many aspects of the holiday, mentioning how the city shut down at noon on Friday with city workers and businesses only open a half day. Schools were dismissed on Thursday, after Christmas carol programs.
The story mentioned that there was a feeling of hope in Dayton and confidence in the air that there were better things coming in the future.
Friday, Dec. 25, 1925
The front page carried several Christmas-related stories, including subject matter such as a tragic Christmas fire and accident that left seven people dead, quadruplets born on Christmas, federal prisoners enjoying a meal with Santa Claus, how President Coolidge was spending the holiday at the White House and more.
There was also a message from the State Prohibition Commissioner B.F. McDonald, who indicated that an extraordinary effort was being made by his agents to ferret out violators of the liquor law on Christmas. He announced that most of the members of his force would be spending the holiday at their homes but “that doesn’t mean that the liquor lid is off.”
Friday, Dec. 25, 1936
The artwork on this front page was certainly attention-grabbing. It featured the old Dayton Daily News building with the simple message, “Wishing You All A Merry Christmas.”
A different set of quadruplets, this time 6-year-old sisters, were mentioned, as were bombs being dropped on Madrid, Spain on Christmas Day.
The local story was about the volume of gift giving, which was standing at a record level that year. Late-night neighborhood stores were reporting “heavy patronage” and the amount of shoppers at department stores was “unprecedented.”
Friday, Dec. 25, 1970
The Rike’s department store Santa was interviewed “in character” for the front page story with the headline of “Santa’s Christmas Eve A Time for Remembering.”
When asked if he was tired on Christmas Eve, Santa indicated that he would sleep when Christmas was over.
“You’re tired, but you don’t notice you’re tired until it’s over,” he said. “After it’s over, I’m going to sleep for 24 hours straight through.”
“Christmas is a very happy time of year,” Santa said. “People are in a joyous mood. For me, it’s a hard working time of year, but I love it.”
Also on the front page was a story about all the unwanted gifts that would have to be returned, and how the stores dealt with the situation.
The main photo on the page was of a “three wise men” display, with a bible verse as the caption.
MORE: PHOTOS: Christmas Day front pages from the Dayton Daily News archives
About the Author
