VENANGO COUNTY, Pa. (EYT) – As we celebrate Christmas this year, exploreVenango.com dug through the archives to bring readers a look back at Christmas celebrations in the area 50 years ago.

(Photo courtesy Reddit/thefoot58)

An exploreVenango.com review of The Derrick and The Clarion News archives provide insight into what Christmas was like in 1971.

The First United Methodist Church in Clarion had its Christmas Eve service at 7:30 p.m. with organist, Mrs. Don Means, playing a special prelude containing “Infant Holy,” “Silent Night,” “We Three Kings” and other songs. Service was led by Rev. George S. Crooks.

In Leeper, William Moore, a West Point Cadet and 1970 North Clarion High School graduate, returned home for the holidays to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Moore, according to a note published by The Derrick.

Various choral groups at Keystone High School presented a Christmas Choral concert, directed by Larry C. Frank.

At the now-razed Oil City Hospital, the Junior Red Cross of Oil City High School organized a visit by Santa for the hospital’s pediatric patients, who were also gifted with Christmas stockings filled with toys.

On the 23rd, the Clarion State College Wrestling Team lost to Oregon State University, 19-18.

The “heartbreaker” match saw the Golden Eagles ahead 18-10 after Bill Simpson beat Ron Sather in a 10-6 decision in the 177-pound match. However, a string of three loses sealed OSU’s win.

In an odd note, Field and Stream Supply of Reno gifted a pony to David Jennings of Shamburg, The Derrick reported. Apparently, a hunter had killed Jennings’s pony, “Josie.” The new pony served as a show of good faith from hunters to landowners.

Both newspapers are full of advertisements from local businesses in a holiday theme. Almost all are drawn, and in The Derrick, holiday greetings from local businesses occupy four full pages of space.

“Christmas Joy,” says one from Venus Motor Co. “As this quiet scene reflects Christmas peace, may all share its true tranquility.”

Christmas is a celebration of joy and peace, and 1971 was no different. However, many on that day did not enjoy the luxuries of the holidays.

A fire gutted a Church Street home in Oil City, leaving a family of five homeless, the The Derrick reported.

Meanwhile, the war in Vietnam continued, and though American forces had proclaimed a one-day ceasefire for the 24th and Communist Vietnamese forces instituted a three-day ceasefire the same day, an AP news article in The Derrick makes clear hostilities continued through the holiday.

“U.S. aircraft will still be bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail network and supporting ground troops in Laos and Cambodia,” the article states. U.S. aircraft also engaged targets in North Vietnam while Americans and South Vietnamese fought skirmishes and experienced constant shelling.

On Christmas Day, the New York Times reported 26 ceasefire violations, five South Vietnamese and 11 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong dead. An American plane struck a target in North Vietnam, which was the second strike in four days and the 106th strike of the year.

Sources for this article include the digitalized archives of The Derrick on newspaperarchive.com and the New York Times’ TimesMachine, as well as microfilm of The Clarion News from the Clarion University Library.