Santa Claus Indiana Christmas Now and In July

Plan a Family Holiday in Santa Claus Indiana

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SUMMARY

When the town of Santa Fe had to change it's name to get a post office, little did the folks know changing it's name to Santa Claus , would put the town on the map.

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The tale of Santa Claus Indiana started when the town made application for a post office.

Source: Courtsey Tripadvisor

The name made the town

Santa Claus Indiana was established in 1849 in Spencer County Indiana. The town’s original name was 'Santa Fe'. In 1856 the town applied for it's first post office. The Postal Service rejected the town of Santa Fe’s first application for services based on the fact the name ,'Santa Fe' were already taken. The town held a meeting to establish a new name. There were several heated meetings designed to give the town a unique name. The town finally settled upon the name Santa Claus Indiana. This name was so unique that no other town in the country bore the name Santa Claus at the time. The exact process by which the town people selected the name Santa Claus is lost to history

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Santa Claus, IN, USA

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The North Pole Via a Cornfield

On May 21, 1856, the post office was officially established under the name Santa Claus Indiana. John Sphect was the first postmaster. In 1895 the town changed the name Santa Claus to one word,Santaclaus’. The name of the town went unnoticed by the general public until the 1920s.

Postmaster James Martin promoted the idea of a Santa Claus postmark, in the 1920s. To take advantage of this unique situation the town again changes its name from one word Santaclaus to the current Santa Claus Indiana. It was the only Santa Claus Indiana allowed to keep the name because of the amount of mail that that name generated for the local post office. The amount of mail generated by the name Santa Claus and the desire of people to be see postmarks from that town created huge logistical problem

Since 1914 the town has received so many requests for children for replies from Santa Claus, that a group of volunteers answers many of thousands of requests for replies from Santa. The local post office also produces a one-of-a-kind postmark that is designed every year by a local high school student. It is used only during the month of December.

The town gained the attention the town gained the attention of many nearby entrepreneurs. This was a result of the town’s efforts to answer Santa’s mail. The town was featured in italicized Ripley’s believe It or Not cartoon strip in 1929.

Statue of Santa outside the Santa Claus Museum and Village

Source: courtesy of Tripadvisor

Santa Claus Thrives

Milt Harris and Carl Bennett were entrepreneurs, who competed to establish Christmas based amusements in Santa Claus Indiana in the early 20th century . These amusements included a 22 foot statues of Santa and candy castle,. Local toymakers sponsored a series of village scenes r based on fairytales. This all increased the popularity of it’s of visiting Santa Claus Indiana. This led to the establishment of the Santa Claus town newspaper and Chamber of Commerce.

In 1949 a theme park called Holiday World was established.. Today Santa Claus Indiana is home to many attractions that can be seen all year long. it is home to the Santa’s Candy Castle. Frosyt’s Fun Ctr., Christmas Lake golf course, Splashing Safari and Holiday world.

Holiday World offers rides for all ages. Splashin Safari is one of the state's best theme parks.

Source: courtsey Tripadvisor

Frosty's is a great place for pizza and ice cream

Source: Courtesy Trip Advisor

This golf course is rated best of the top 75 public courses in America.

Source: Courtesy Trip Advisor

This inn provides Christmas themed lodging all year long

Source: Courtesy Trip Advisor

Holiday World and Splashin Safari provide great value for a family theme park getaway!

Source: Courtesy Trip Advisor

A great family holiday, any day!

There are some attractions are family are not going to want to miss in a visit Santa Claus Indiana. Holiday World and Splashing Safari feature th wooden roller coaster called the Voyage. The water park Splashing Safari features the world’s longest water coaster called the beast. The Santa Claus Land of lLights features a bright light show about Rudolph the red nose reindeer. This is the world’s largest campground light display. For the golf lover, Christmas Lake golf course is one of the best 75 public golf courses in the country.

There are numerous places for your family to eat in Santa Claus Indiana. St. Nicks Café features home cooked meals in a Christmas atmosphere. During the warm summer months, you will want to visit from we want to visit Frosty’s Fun Center for pizza and ice cream. After a busy evening thewill want to visit, the Jingle Bell Rock Family Sports Pub for a drink and great pub appetizers.

There are many fun places for your family to stay in Santa Claus Indiana whether you’re visiting during the warmer summer months or for Christmas getaway. You can stay at Lake Randolph Campground and RV Resort. They offer a number of family themed reaction activities on site. You can also stay at the Santa’s Lodge a Christmas themed motel. Your family can also enjoy the seclusion of lakeside cottages called Santa’s cottages a few miles from the theme park.

Even if you are planning to visit Santa Claus Indiana for a day.; you will want to check out the holiday theme shopping opportunities. The Santa Claus Christmas Store features indoor and outdoor lights ,Christmas yard art ,and anything you would need for a great Christmas holiday celebration. Kringle Place features several Christmas craft stores and holiday food store.. The Evergreen Flower and Holly Tree shop features flowers and gifts for every occasion. Santas Candy Castle is a great place to buy all kinds of Christmas confections.

So for a family holiday that compares to none, visit Santa Claus Indiana where the Christmas spirit is alive everyday.

Lake Randolph Resort and RV Park offers a variety of family recreation throughout the year.

Source: Courtesy Trip Advisor

America's Christmas Hometown

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The Hoosier Harrison Connection To The Real First American Thanksgiving

English: Benjamin Barrison V, Signer of Declaration of Independence, Father of William Henry Harrison Deutsch: Benjamin Barrison V, Unterzeichner der Unabhängigkeitserklärung der USA, Vater von William Henry Harrison (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Berkeley Plantation, home of the Harrison family (two Presidents), initial construction of Georgian mansion in 1726. In Charles City County, Virginia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Soon the holiday season will be upon us and many of us will attend Thanksgiving Plays done by local school children to commemorate the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth Colony. For whatever reason, has overlooked the fact that the first Thanksgiving in this new land of America did not occur at Plymouth, but more than a year before at the Virginia Colony of Berkeley Hundred.

The Berkeley Hundred was made up of eight thousand acres on the north shore of the James River. It was named after one of the colonies founders Richard Berkeley. His family had an unbroken male line dating back to Norman England in 1066.

The ship Margaret of Bristol England sailed for Virginia in 1619. The voyage was directed by Captain John Woodliffe . The ship carried thirty five settlers to establish a town in the Berkeley Hundred. The organizers of the journey instructed the ship's crew and settlers to "the day of our ships arrival. shall be yearly and perpetually kept as a day of Thanksgiving."

The ship came to shore on December 4, 1619. The settlers kept this the first Thanksgiving a full year and 17 days before the Pilgrims did at Plymouth. They kept this memorial feast of their safe arrival until 1622. In 1622 a tragedy struck the budding colony.

English: Portrait engraving of William Henry Harrison, 9th president of the United States of America. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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 Settlers had good relations initially with the local Indians .John Smith stated in his History of Virginia, the "Indians came unarmed into our houses with deer, turkeys, fish, fruits, and other provisions to sell us." Then on this fateful Good Friday the Berkeley Hundred fell victim to planned coordinated attacks by the Indians on settlements on the James River. Nine colonists died that day. Other settlements like the one at Wolstenholme Towne were almost completely destroyed. Jamestown had heeded warnings about the attack and many of the surviving settlers from Berkeley took refuge there.

The colony at Berkeley Hundred was abandoned for a good many years until it was purchased by John Bland a merchant from London. John Bland unpopular political activities caused the land again to be returned to the Berkeley family. Governor Berkeley confiscated the land from Mr. Bland and sold it to his Attorney General Benjamin Harrison the 3rd.

The land stayed in the family . Other famous Harrison's were Benjamin Harrison V who signed the Declaration of Independence and William Henry Harrison the governor of Indiana and ninth President of the United States. This gives the site of the first real Thanksgiving on American soil a Hoosier connection.

List of Settlers Sent in 1619 by John Smith

This is a list of the 1619 Settlers as presented and spelled by John Smith. It lists the length of each settler's indenture to the land company for payment for their crossing, the amount of land they were granted to farm, and if they were living or dead at the time he wrote his history.

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Ferdinando Yate, gent 3 yeares 50 acres 
returned 20 martij 1620

John Blanchard gent 3 yeares 50 acres 
Richard Godfrey Joyner 3 years 0-0 
(drowned. mort)

Rowland Paynter 3 years 50 acres 
(dead)

Thomas Coopy Carpenter 
Smythe fowler and Turner 3 years 30 acres

Peerse gent 4 yeares 25 acres 
(dead)

John Cole 7 years 40 acres 
(dead)

Humfry Osborne 3 years 30 acres 
(dead)

Stephen Torslet 4 years 25 acres

Humphrey Plant Sawier & 
Carpenter (dead) 3 years 30 acres

Thomas Davis Cooper & 
Shingler (dead) 3 years 30 acre

Xpopher Nelme shooomaker 3 years 30 acre 
(dead)

Richard Sherife thelder 3 years 30 acre 
Carpenter went with 
Mr. Thorpe (dead)

Richard Sherife the 3 years 30 acre 
yonger Couper (dead 
[written & then stricken through]

Willm Clement Cook & 6 years 20 acre Gardner

Thomas Perise for hops & 7 years 30 acre 
oade (dead)

Xpopher Bourton Taylor 4 years 30 acre

Thomas Molton Cook & 5 years 25 acre 
gardner

James Cley Joyner 3 years 0-0 
(dead)

Charles Coyle a gunmaker 3 years 40 acre 
and Smyth & for fish 
pitch and tarre (dead)

Edward Paynter 7 years 30 acre 
(slayne)

Walter Hampton 3 years 30 acre 
(dead)

Samuell Coopy 3 years 15 acre 
(dead)

Willm Cole 7 years 30 acre 
(dead)

Willm Parker 6 years 30 acre 
(dead)

John Hurd 5 years 30 acre 
(dead)

Willm Patche 6 years 30 acre 
(dead) Thomas Sandford 6 years 30 acre 
(dead)

Willm Stone 6 years 30 acre 
(query to him)

John Taylor, als stokeley 6 years 25 acre 
(dead)

John Jones gardner & 8 years 30 acre 
Smyth

Thomas Denton 8 years 20 acre 
(dead)

Thomas Thorpe 7 years 30 acre 
(slayne)

Willm Mellrickes 
(dead)

Willm Moores 
(dead)

Robert Taylor 
(dead)

John Brunnet 1. 
Dead 1.

1. George Thorpe and the Berkeley Company: A Gloucestershire Enterprise in Virginia by Eric Gethyn-Jones (Alan Sutton, 1982).

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