The Santa of yesteryear

PRAIRIE DU PONT (NORTH DUPO), IL - The tradition of St. Nicholas, the fourth-century gift-giver who is the inspiration for our modern Santa Claus, will be explored during a special event to be held Saturday, December 2 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Martin-Boismenue House State Historic Site in Prairie du Pont (North Dupo).

 

            St. Nicholas will stop by the candle-lit historic home to greet families and share holiday treats with children.  The Martin-Boismenue House will be decorated for the season in traditional frontier fashion with St. Nicholas seated in front of a crackling fire.  Parents are encouraged to bring cameras to capture their children's delight at seeing St. Nicholas in this wonderful historic setting.

 

            The traditional St. Nicholas as recognized by Illinois' original French settlers was a wonderfully generous bishop who felt sorry for the poor, hungry, or those who didn't have enough clothing to keep warm.  In England he was called Father Christmas, and in France he was known as Pere Noel.  In these countries, children filled their shoes with straw and carrots for St. Nicholas' horse on December 5, St. Nicholas Eve.  As the kind bishop rode from house to house, he replaced the straw and carrots found in the children's shoes with coins, toys and cookies.  By the 1800s, the figure of St. Nicholas had evolved into our modern Santa Claus.

 

            The Martin-Boismenue House State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, was built as early as 1790 by Pierre Martin, a local farmer and office holder.  The structure is a typical French Canadian dwelling with the logs arranged vertically, rather than the more commonly-known horizontal arrangement of later American log cabins.  Eighty percent of the original building material is still present in the restored house, and it is one of the oldest structures of its kind in Illinois.

 

            The Martin-Boismenue House is located in Prairie du Pont (North Dupo).  The site is at the intersection of Water and First Streets directly across from the Prairie du Pont Firehouse.  Call (618) 332-1782 for more information.