The Backstory: Hot holiday gifts of 19th-century Ann Arbor

The modern holiday season is dominated by advertising, with print circulars, TV spots, and online ads hawking Christmas deals. While the omnipresent consumerism may be tedious, it's also nothing new; a look back at early Ann Arbor newspapers shows that local retailers were just as hungry for the Christmas rush over a century ago.
 
In 1878, the Michigan Argus encouraged readers to patronize the grocers who advertised in the paper, specifically Rinsey and Seabolt and Edward Duffy, who the paper said would fill readers' baskets with sweets and "substantials." Over on Huron Street, photographer McMillan sold his engravings and chromolithographs (colored pictures printed using the lithography process). The Argus urged readers to invest in photographs because "a thing of beauty is a joy forever." Noble's, Jacob's, Mack's, or Wagner's could tailor a new men's suit, and for the ladies, Mack and Schmid offered a fine stock of clothing. Bach and Abel was selling "staple and fancy goods" for the hard to please, or you could just buy that special someone an easy chair from John Keck’s. For those on a budget, toiletries were up for grabs at Tremaine and Company, Eberbach and Son, or Emanuel Mann.
 
In the 1880s, the Ann Arbor Courier also suggested buying furniture for your loved one. Martin Hall at Main and Liberty had a "splendid assortment" of bamboo easels, tables, and stands. Need a place to rest your weary bones? Hall had plenty of rattan chairs and rockers. If one was looking for a slightly smaller, less bulky gift, D.F. Schairer’s store was open evenings and was a "harvest for the people." Linen handkerchiefs were on sale — 15 cents for embroidered initials, 25 cents for white embroidery, and 75 cents for French embroidered needlework. For gentlemen, cashmere mufflers were on sale for 25 to 50 cents, or a quarter more for white silk mufflers. For the housekeeper, nurse, or waiting maids, there were three "grand lots" of aprons available for 25 to 75 cents apiece.
 
In 1891 the Ann Arbor Argus addressed the topic of holiday gifts straight on, saying "the question of what to buy … and where to buy it is one that bothers everybody." To help ease the pain, the staff visited a variety of local stores and recommended the best, most affordable gifts. At 13 S. Main Street, W.D. Adams sold children’s toys ranging from picture books to plush goods to lamps to chamber sets. A few doors down at 6 S. Main, George L. Moore offered hand-painted plaques, Christmas cards, and calendars along with books and stationery. For that special lady in one’s life, J.C. and W.W. Watts Jewelers supplied diamond rings, earrings, watches, and pins adorned with precious stones. Souvenir spoons, a popular fad that year, could also be found there. For the man in one's life, Steffey and Serviss sold fine cigars. Martin Haller at 52 S. Main sold furniture and novelties, and Sheehan and Company on State Street sold a 25-volume set of Encyclopedia Britannica encyclopedias for $30.
 
Just weeks before the turn of the century, the Ann Arbor Argus-Democrat featured ads for the beloved Dean and Company and its annual "opening day." For Christmas, urged the Argus-Democrat, get the gift of candy! Dean sold large gumdrops for five cents a pound, small squares of peanut taffy for 10 cents apiece, handmade chocolate drops for 18 cents a pound, and Dean’s famous peanuts for just eight cents a pound. For the "big kids," china and cut glass gifts were offered at last season’s prices. Meantime, Mack and Company offered dress fabrics — including the finest silk — at "below the lowest prices." Lace, fur edging, and pearl buckles were all available for the discerning woman.
 
Some of these beloved retailers survived the turn of the century, as did some of the gift ideas. Candy is still a great bet, as are picture books for kids and diamond jewelry for all (especially history writers). But while we may not think of buying an easy chair or bolt of lace as a gift, it's fortunate that most of today's Ann Arborites remain as likely to "buy local" as they were in the twilight of the 1800s.

Patti Smith lives in Ann Arbor, the best city on earth. By day, she is a special education teacher. By night, she writes novels (that she hopes to sell one day) and articles for Mittenbrew, the Ann, Pulp, the Ann Arbor Observer, and Concentrate.