Let’s look back 75 years and see what was happening in the area for Halloween in 1949. The biggest Halloween event in Litchfield was the annual Jaycee Halloween Party. It promised to top all previous Halloween events.
The party started promptly at 6:15 at the Community Building or present-day Opera House. First up was the handing out of candy, peanuts, and noisemakers. A costumed procession to Central Park was made, led by the Litchfield Drum and Bugle Corp.
At the park, the kids found more treats. Despite the cold and bitter wind, the kids joined in apple bobbing and pillow fights. And in case you are envisioning hundreds of kids with cold, wet costumes from apple bobbing, the apples were hung from a string and “bobbed” that way.
The party then returned to the Community Building and enjoyed the magical show of Bruno Warnecke, a semi-famous traveling magician. Warnecke the Great performed many sleight-of-hand tricks, pulled rabbits and pigeons from hats, and provided a fun time for all.
Entertainment was also provided by Rev. O. Leonard Nelson, a local Lutheran minister. Rev. Nelson presented a “chalk talk.” His attentive audience watched as he transformed simple shapes, such as a question mark, into cartoon faces.
Perhaps the highlight for most attendees was the costume contest. The judging categories were divided by grade and school, with grades 1 through 6 and students from Longfellow, Washington, and rural schools. The top three costumes in each category received a cash prize of $1, 2, or 3. Some of the first-prize costumes were Little Bo Peep, a robot, a Puritan, and a garbage can. One young girl’s nurse costume included a bedpan and a sign that read “Give us a hospital / Vote Nov 8th" referring to the upcoming vote on whether or not there should be a county hospital.
It was estimated that 2,000 children attended the party. Litchfield’s usual curfew was 10:00, but this was extended to 11:00 that Halloween evening, despite it being a Monday. One has to feel a bit sorry for the teachers the following day!
While this party was the biggest in the area, it was by no means the only celebration. Several rural school districts and 4-H clubs held their own parties, mostly in the days leading up to October 31. The weekend prior, Litchfield’s American Legion held a Halloween Dance and the Rainbow Roller Rink on Eden Lake launched their reopening with a Halloween skating party.
While there were plenty of “treats” all across the county, sadly there were also a few not-so-great “tricks.” Vandals smeared oil over the Chamber of Commerce sign, leaving a greasy mess. Another group of miscreants broke into the District 73 school in Harvey Township “causing considerable nuisance damage.” Keeping kids safe and out of trouble was one of the reasons for the annual party.
These community parties continued for many years. They came to an end in the early 1970s as trick-or-treating became more popular.
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