Illuminating the Past with the Columbia Lamplight Tour!
Three raggamuffin boys played by (left to right) Dustin Wright, Clay Wright and Ben Wright, come into the Wilson Store to buy some Hannukah presents. “When I decided to stay open late tonight, I didn’t expect to see minor miners!” the store’s proprietor (play by John Glamuzina) exclaimed. Still, he provided the boys with friendly customer service!
Story and photos by Greg Kristapovich
It was so surreal! It was absolutely captivating! It was “A 19th Century Columbia Christmas Tableaux”; otherwise known as the Lamplight Tour 2008! In this fascinating, 26th annual, re-creation of early Columbia history, vignettes are staged in thirteen spots in Historic Columbia, to portray, in an educational – and humorous way - what Christmas was like between the years of 1849 and 1870! The actors and actresses in each vignette, or mini-play (each one lasting about five minutes) are either docents of the park, or volunteers. As the tour group (of about 25 people) approaches a spot, the thespians are completely still, just like mannequins. Then a bell is rung, and they come to life! After their (totally enthralling) performance, the actors/actresses freeze, once again, to make for a photo opportunity! And they remain frozen in place until the last person has taken his picture! One vignette recreated a scene in a Chinese herbal shop (staged in the Historic Columbia bowling alley).This presentation was titled “East Meets West.” In this scene, Ah Ho, played by docent Alan Morikawa is a Chinese herbalist. A young boy, played by Nolan Morikawa, comes in for medicine for his mother. Then they exchange information on how their respective cultures celebrate the holidays; and Ah Ho gives the little boy a huge dragon head (symbolizing Chinese New Year) as a gift. Another vignette recounts how in early Columbia, many of the townsfolk adopted the old German custom of bringing a tree into the house to decorate. And in another scene a Hispanic family introduces a piñata to an Anglo mother and son; while they introduce mistletoe to the Hispanic family! Indeed, the Lamplight Tour enlightened the audience, revealing how the many cultures celebrate Christmas; and specifically, how early Columbia did! The hour-long tour wrapped up at the Eagle Cotage, where delicious desserts of all kinds were served; and two female violinists entertained with Christmas tunes! This event is the main annual fundraiser for Friends of Columbia State Historic Park (FCSHP), which is a non-profit organization that funds all of the educational programs in the park.
Beautiful violin-based Christmas music filled the room at the Eagle Cotage, as tour attendees enjoyed coffee and scrumptious desserts!
Santa (played by Floyd Oydegaard) kept bringing in packages for mailing, and putting them, alphabetically, in the wrong places. And it drove the postal employees (Byron Smith, left, and Duane Baughman) simply crazy! Here, Santa quietly sneaks up behind the two, to get in the picture!
Leading the Lamplight Tour are, left to right; Victoria Conger and Nancy Dorrien.
