One tradition for kicking off the Christmas Season in Cecil County was the annual lighting of the “Holly Tree by the tracks.” The Baltimore & Ohio held its first public ceremony in 1948 when thousands of people gathered to ring in the season as lights from thousands of bulbs on the evergreen softly illuminated the Jackson, MD hillside. For many years the company dispatched a special train from Mount Royal Station for the occasion. After 1971, the B & O Holly Tree was dark for a time until a group of volunteers started making sure the tree festively blazed for the holiday season.
The magic of the 1954 lighting ceremony was captured on a 33 1/3 long-playing record. It included carols by the B & O Glee Club and the B & O Women’s Music Choir. That old vinyl, a long unheard broadcast, has sat silently on a shelf, but recently the audio was digitized so readers could enjoy the snap, crackle and pop of a vinyl recording from a long time ago.
Musical selections directed by Dr. James Allan Dash, a narration by the master of ceremonies Walter Linthicum, gasps of delight and loud applause, and much were captured on the record. So you may enjoy a portion of that festive occasion that took place over a half-century ago, we are posting side one of the vinyl audio here on the blog. Click here to go to sound’s page and click the start button. (note: it may take a few seconds for the MP3 file to start, so be patient.)
Always a Christmas favourite, but so unfortunate time and age has taken its toll on the trees. There used to the be the large Holly tree in the center surrounded by 4 smaller Holly trees at each corner of the main tree.
It was beautiful an amazing when I was a child Parents took us every year
Thanks Becky for sharing your memory.
My mother was born in Jackson. She lived in the house next to this holly tree. My grandfather was a track foreman for B&O.
Lewis, thanks for sharing those memories with us.
What is the schedule for the Holly tree lighting for this year 2022? Thank you Martha.
Here’s some info Martha on the Holly Tree Lighting: https://www.ccgov.org/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/26/220