Today in Wheeling History: November 22--The 10th annual Wheeling Christmas parade was held with many innovations, including giant balloon characters and Santa arriving by airplane (1940).
The 10th annual Wheeling Christmas parade was held on November 22, 1940, with spring-like weather and was marked by many innovations, including giant inflated balloon characters supplied by Jean Gross, a famous theatrical producer. Highlights included a Mother Goose float, six white Arabian horses, over 30 high school bands including a standout performance by Scio High, and Santa Claus arriving by airplane dubbed "Spirit of Christmas" rather than his traditional reindeer sleigh. Other notable parade participants and floats included the Boy Scouts, American Legion, Red Cross, Wheeling Cycle Club, Oglebay Park, John Dieckmann & Sons' Cinderella float, Wheeling Steel, Isaly's cow jumping over the moon float, Cooey-Bentz's balloon float, the State Road Commission's tank float, and all Wheeling high schools including Linsly, Wheeling, Wheeling Central, Triadelphia, Warwood, and Lincoln. Unique balloon characters included a clown, Felix the Cat, Donald Duck, Ferdinand the Cow, a 3-headed Christmas serpent, a caterpillar, monkey, elephant, kangaroo, musical pig, alligator, and a giant horned dragon.
To learn more: (https://rb.gy/v5vanp)
Photo Credits: Archives of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston; Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV
The 10th annual Wheeling Christmas parade was held on November 22, 1940, with spring-like weather and was marked by many innovations, including giant inflated balloon characters supplied by Jean Gross, a famous theatrical producer. Highlights included a Mother Goose float, six white Arabian horses, over 30 high school bands including a standout performance by Scio High, and Santa Claus arriving by airplane dubbed "Spirit of Christmas" rather than his traditional reindeer sleigh. Other notable parade participants and floats included the Boy Scouts, American Legion, Red Cross, Wheeling Cycle Club, Oglebay Park, John Dieckmann & Sons' Cinderella float, Wheeling Steel, Isaly's cow jumping over the moon float, Cooey-Bentz's balloon float, the State Road Commission's tank float, and all Wheeling high schools including Linsly, Wheeling, Wheeling Central, Triadelphia, Warwood, and Lincoln. Unique balloon characters included a clown, Felix the Cat, Donald Duck, Ferdinand the Cow, a 3-headed Christmas serpent, a caterpillar, monkey, elephant, kangaroo, musical pig, alligator, and a giant horned dragon.
To learn more: (https://rb.gy/v5vanp)
Photo Credits: Archives of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston; Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV
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