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"Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts."
Halloween during the relatively recent past in Martin County has been primarily a time for "treats" rather than "tricks." However, in some past years a bit of mischief did take place. Although not necessarily harmful, some of those events could certainly be considered at least a nuisance and quite unnecessary. The following are some random examples of Halloweens in Martin County's past taken from the newspaper archives in the Pioneer Museum.
The November 1, 1939, issue of the Fairmont Daily Sentinel recounted how a group of girls ages 11 to 13 stopped at a home on Victoria Street in Fairmont on Halloween. One girl called out, "Trick or treat!" When the homeowner asked what would happen if she refused, the apparent leader replied, "This..." and displayed a large bar of soap. The homeowner promptly handed out treats. That really sounds like a threat.
On November 1, 1961, the Fairmont Daily Sentinel published a story titled "County Lawmen Put Silencer on 'Rumble.'" It reported that officers broke up a planned Halloween "rumble" involving approximately 35 youths from Sherburn and Dunnell before it began. Interestingly, the only reported weapon was "at least one of whom was carrying a can of paint." The term, "rumble," is a slang term for a potential street fight involving teen-age gangs.
From a story in the November 4, 1961, edition of the Fairmont Daily Sentinel, former Sentinel editor Claude Swanson recalled how a coffee counter customer visiting with him said that his "dad-in-law is a sort of a gruff old bird," and on one Halloween he snorted to the trick-or-treaters that knocked on the door to go out there and start spading the garden. Undoubtedly quite a shock to the little ghosts and goblins, however, when he saw that the children were quite unsure of how to respond, he quickly softened his tone and handed out candy.
"Only Pranks Enliven Area Halloween" read an article from the November 2, 1964, issue of the Fairmont Daily Sentinel. The most serious reported was the dumping of paint on the front porch of a city librarian. Another was a pig being turned loose in downtown Fairmont, only to be soon rescued by a group of teenagers. In Sherburn it was reported that a couple dead possums were tied together and hung over the flashing light at the corner of Main Street and Highway 16. Painting the town is a phrase meant to imply celebrating, not literally painting something. Also, herding a pig and playing possum seems totally uncalled for on Halloween.
On November 1st of 1976, the Sentinel reported that there was an outhouse taken from the Girl Scout's camp and was placed in the middle of the blacktop east of Hand's Park.
There was another report of a "modern day toilet" left in the middle of Blue Earth Avenue in Fairmont. Increasing the availability of restrooms is commendable, but perhaps not in the manner described in this story.
One of the most disruptive Halloweens wasn’t caused by pranks but by an uncontrolled event, weather. That memorable Halloween occurred in 1991. The Sentinel headline from November 2, 1991, read, "Too Much, Too Soon!" It referred to the "1991 Halloween Blizzard" that caught most everyone completely off guard. It was virtually impossible for snowplows to clear I-90 due to the many stalled cars. Snowmobiles and four-wheel-drive vehicles were the only options for any kind of travel.
So, this year when you hear "Happy Halloween" or "Trick or Treat" let's hope the emphasis of all involved is on the "Treats" and the many enjoyable memories of past Halloween experiences.
For more information on this topic, or to become a member, visit the Pioneer Museum in Fairmont or its website at martincountymuseum.com.