The holidays in Wausau take on a nostalgic glow each year during the Marathon County Historical Society’s “Holidays at the Houses” celebration, a richly immersive event centered on the traditions of Christmas in the 1920s.
This year at the Yawkey House Museum visitors can step back in time and experience the season as the Yawkey family did nearly a century ago. Through guided tours, live reenactments and a replica of the family’s holiday tree, the event offers a vivid window into the past.
In an interview with WPR’s Shereen Siewert on “Morning Edition,” Marathon County Historical Society Executive Director Blake Opal-Wahoske said this year’s celebration draws inspiration from Alice Yawkey’s 1927 book, “Growing to be a Christmas Tree.” Excerpts from the book will be woven into the tours to evoke the spirit of a bygone era.
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For Opal-Wahoske, the event is not only a festive celebration but also a chance to connect the community with its roots.
“For us, it’s about providing these opportunities to showcase Wausau and Marathon County’s history,” Opal-Wahoske told WPR. “It helps us appreciate how far we’ve come and provides context for where we’re going, all while remembering how we celebrated the holidays 100 years ago.”
The following interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
Shereen Siewert: For many people, the holidays are steeped in nostalgia. How does this event help the community feel connected to the past?
Blake Opal-Wahoske: The holidays are a time for bringing the family together, creating memories. Not only that, but it’s also about looking back at past memories. I think there’s a kind of connection between history and the holidays and the nostalgia that it evokes, and we’re bringing it all together here in central Wisconsin with this event.
SS: How will reenactors bring the Yawkey family’s holiday celebration to life during the tours you have scheduled?
BOW: This year we’re theming the event around Alice Yawkey’s book she wrote for her four grandchildren, entitled “Growing to be a Christmas tree.”
In the past, we’ve had our reenactors go through with full scripts. This year we’re doing a guided tour through the house with the reenactors in background poses, which will give visitors a sense that they’re viewing the family from the outside looking in. You’ll get to see their private moments.
Not only that, but our tour guides will walk people through and read excerpts from the book. You’ll also be able to experience the tree that we reproduced and replicated from the book, all the way down to the color of the lights to the packages underneath and the red candles in the windows. We’ve really tried to recreate what it was like to be in the Yawkey House in 1927 around the holidays.
SS: Who was Alice Yawkey? Tell us about her.
BOW: Alice Yawkey, now she was a woman of her times and a pillar of this community. We are very fortunate to have had her.
She came to Wausau in 1889 with her husband, Cyrus, who was the leader of the Wausau Group. Alice was very heavily involved in the arts and culture, and was heavily involved at her church as well, the First Universalist Unitarian Church in Wausau.
She was a big part of the society groups in Wausau at the turn of the century, especially as it progressed. One thing people found interesting about Alice was that she had her own telescope, which was uncommon for the time in which she lived.
She charted and named six separate star constellations, too, and was an out-of-the-box thinker.
SS: How does Alice’s book reflect the holiday traditions of that time?
BOW: It’s like a time capsule to read her book and go back to the time in the 1920s. Some of the customs have changed over the years, just as the way we decorate has changed.
Back then we didn’t have mini lights, of course, and they were just starting to get the big colorful bulbs on trees, getting away from candles. There was tinsel everywhere. But it is also interesting to look at the customs and religious practices they observed as members of their church.
One religious custom was having a red candle in the window to help guide the Christ child. It’s those small things that we pick up on today, 100 years later, and realize how interesting those customs were.
SS: What are you most excited about as this celebration approaches?
BOW: You know, this is a great opportunity for the Marathon County Historical Society. The book was written in 1927, and we have 1920s exhibits available now for people to come and view at the same time.
We also received a donation from the Woodson family of a beautiful china set that would have originally been here in the Woodson House in 1927 as well. I’m just excited about showcasing what happened 100 years ago.
SS: Talk about some of the standout activities that visitors can look forward to this year.
BOW: We’ll have some of our usual annual festivities, with the Center Stage Show Choir performing some Christmas carols for us. We’ll have an opportunity to visit with Santa, and a cookie decorating station as well.
In addition to that, we’re partnering with the Friends of Wausau Historic Landmarks for the Sweet Landmarks Gingerbread Contest. This is a new classic tradition where folks use their artistic skills to build Wausau landmarks out of gingerbread. It’s a little different spin on a gingerbread contest that showcases the flavor of Wausau.
SS: What do you hope that visitors take away from this experience at this year’s event?
BOW: I think this is a great opportunity just to shed some light on just the past and the history of the community that we call home in central Wisconsin.
Another thing that I would love if people took away from this is that the event isn’t just a one-time opportunity to learn about the community’s history. You can come on in anytime throughout the year to learn more.
We have a staff of experts if you’d like to get into your own family lineage, for example. We are here to help you on your history journey.
If you have an idea about something in central Wisconsin you think we should talk about on “Morning Edition,” send it to us at central@wpr.org.
