'Flying Windmill' Brought Santa to La Mesa in 1952, Removed Worries

Rare weather has made this a very memorable Christmas for La Mesa. Of course, our town usually boasts temperate conditions in December—which in most parts of the country would be considered no weather at all.  Balmy temperatures, sunny skies and no hint of rain, sleet or snow.

So it was in 1952, when the lack of "North Pole-like" weather apparently gave La Mesa children grave concerns. Would lack of snow shut down Santa's sleigh?

To the rescue came the young La Mesa 20-30 Club.  Committee members Douglas Hough, Herbert Shade, Jude Hallmark and Lester Douthit called on friends at the U.S. Coast Guard to assure that Santa would not leave La Mesa off his route. 

On Saturday, Dec. 20, 1952, the club arranged for a Coast Guard helicopter to deliver Santa for a special visit to the La Mesa Youth Center (near the site of today's Community Center).  The "flying windmill," as it was described in the La Mesa Scout, landed safely on site, bringing Santa and his bag of gifts and goodies for a most memorable event for city children. 

The sight of a helicopter in 1952, still a relatively new flying machine, was a treat for the city of just over 12,000 residents. 

Still, Santa's role in bringing the holidays to a growing La Mesa was not yet complete. A rapidly growing city had just seen the opening of the new Lake Murray Manor subdivisions.  These tracts would be a catalyst for opening the city to residential development north of Highway 80 (now Interstate 8).  The rapid buildout of these new "north La Mesa" neighborhoods helped triple the city's population in the 1950s. 

As such, Mayor Miles Nagel arranged for special excursions with Santa out to La Mesa's newly annexed northern neighborhoods—Murray Manor, Rasonia (west of Lake Murray Boulevard near the Murray Dam) and Severin Manor in Fletcher Hills. 

Santa and the mayor highlighted ceremonies sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and Murray Manor developers Kelton and Bollenbacher that featured tree lightings, choral singing and gifts from La Mesa merchants to "greet the thousands of new residents who will celebrate Christmas in La Mesa for the first time," the Scout reported.

In the days before Grossmont Center, Christmas shopping circa 1952 was focused on downtown.  Shoppers were treated to such annual Christmas traditions as the decorating of the La Mesa Boulevard business district. 

This started in the 1920s, and photos and descriptions illustrate that this tradition was in full force with light poles and storefronts decorated and lit up each night.  Special holiday bargains and sales were heavily advertised along with the festive streetscape.

The holiday season of 1952 also included traditions such as Grossmont High School's annual Christmas Pageant, which started back in the 1920s.  Under the direction of Raymond Kniss and featuring the school's Red Robe Choir and Grossmont Orchestra, speech and drama department students enacted various Christmas scenes for another sold-out three-day run. 

Holiday programs also were held for the first time in the recently opened La Mesa Junior High School and Helix High School campuses in 1952. 

In addition, the La Mesa Scout was filled with numerous postings and articles featuring services at the town's various churches.  Activities were noted at La Mesa's other service organizations as well as private homes. They included pageants, nativity scenes, choir concerts, carolers and tree-trimming parties.  One notable community event: the La Mesa Women's Club's annual Christmas party for local children, including a visit from Mrs. Claus herself. 

Although La Mesa experienced a more typical "nonweather" Christmas in 1952 than we did this year, the community's holiday traditions were clearly established.  And as the community grew rapidly with new neighborhoods, schools and churches over the next decade, these traditions would exponentially expand as well.

Still, the heartfelt hometown feel and sentiments of a classic La Mesa holiday season past continue to hold true for this wet Christmas 2010 week:

We extend the heartiest of wishes for a very merry Christmas and happy and prosperous new year!