BATTLE MOUNTAIN - At the dawn of the 20th century, Battle Mountain residents celebrated Christmas together, as they had previously, with a community tree and a formal ball. Eighty years ago, the Volunteer Fire Department's New Year's Eve party became the community event of choice.
The first Christmas celebration of the new 20th century filled two days. On Christmas Eve 1901, residents packed the Methodist Church to sing carols, and Santa Claus distributed gifts from the community tree to happy children. Christmas Day was sunny and warm, so folks gathered near the stock corrals for a clay pigeon shooting contest. That night, the Battle Mountain Gun Club sponsored the Christmas Ball at Lemaire's Hall where 40 couples participated in the formal Grand March. At midnight, the jovial crowd strolled to the Nevada Hotel for a Christmas supper with all the trimmings and back to Lemaire's to dance until dawn to the musical stylings of Grace Blossom, Harry Randall, and William MacDonald.
As people began preferring to mark Christmas with their own families, the community gatherings became less elaborate. In 1925, the grammar school (now the County Courthouse) featured a children's program, and folks assembled at Shovelin's Theater on Reese Street for the raffling of a new Chevrolet. The lucky winner was Alfred Scambi, a truck driver who did not yet own his own car. Also lucky that Christmas was Elizabeth Schmith who found a gold nugget the size of corn kernel in the gizzard of the family's Christmas turkey.
On December 31, 1933, the Volunteer Fire Department sponsored its first New Year's Eve Ball in the lavishly-decorated Shovelin Theater. At midnight, 1934 arrived with noisemakers and much laughter at the antics of the "Firemen Comedy Players." The adults-only event was a huge success. The next year, firemen impersonated female entertainers in a hilarious burlesque show, and a risqué fan dancer thrilled revelers at the 1936 ball. The fundraising event also included a small raffle and occasional auction. In 1936, Henry Lemaire offered the winning bid for a retired fire engine.
For many years after World War II, the annual New Year's Eve party at Shovelin's continued to grow in popularity. Families came from miles around to dance all night to top-notch bands, such as Stan Joy's Hollywood Orchestra, and perhaps win one of hundreds of prizes as the raffle expanded.
Community events have changed over time as Battle Mountain maintains its long tradition of festive holiday celebrations.
Dana Bennett is currently working on a history of the town of Battle Mountain. For more information, please visit www.battlemountainmuseum.com.
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