Clarence Williams’ Christmas, 1899

Idly looking through the Columbus Dispatch of December 16, 1899, for something “Christmasy,’ I stumbled across a section titled “Santa Claus Reading His Mail.” Children were encouraged to send their Christmas wish lists to the Big Guy, or possibly a harassed Dispatch editor trying to read through scads of semi-legible letters from ragamuffin kids whose mothers probably put them up to it.1 Most of the letters came from various parts of Columbus, but one of them, datelined Westerville, caught my eye. I will quote it in full:

 Dear Santa Claus: Please bring me a new suit of clothes, a violin, a pair of gloves, a good book, candy, grapes, and oranges. Yours truly, Clarence Williams, Westerville, O.

 Sounds reasonable. The violin was a nice touch; then and now they cost a bit, but you could buy a starter/toy violin out of the Montgomery Ward catalog. I approve of the request for a good book. As long as he doesn’t overdo the candy, Clarence’s wish list was festive, but not greedy.

 Just who was Clarence Williams? The name sounded vaguely familiar, but it took me some time with census and probate records before I could find out who he was and why he sounded familiar.2 Let’s try the U. S. Census. Clarence appears first in 1900, an eleven year old son of John and Lucy Williams. They lived on College Avenue, where father John was listed as a baker.3 Ten years later, John and Clarence were living alone on Grove Street, where John still was in the bread business.4

 Clarence does not appear in the 1920 census, but the decade of the 1910s was eventful. On October 16, 1914 he married a girl named Esther Brobst.5 And in 1917, he registered for the draft, although he does not appear to have actually been conscripted.6 By 1930, he was listed as married with three children. His job title is proprietor of the oddly worded (and spelled) “confectionaurant.”7 Maybe a census-taker’s shorthand?

 By now, we have enough data to say that Clarence Williams was indeed the proprietor of the Williams Grill, located at 14 North State Street (now the Asterisk Supper Club). From 1927 until 1975, the Grill served customers drawn, in part, by the 3C Highway. Gone for half a century, the Williams Grill is still fondly remembered by many locals.

One other holiday note. At this juncture, we can only guess at what inspired young Clarence Williams to write to Santa Claus. But in shuffling through Clarence’s paper trail, I noticed that he had an (almost) Christmas birthday - December 23. I can only guess how excited he must have been, looking forward to a double helping of loot!

To all readers, regardless of birthday, Merry Christmas.

Not absolutely sure, but I believe the middle figure is Clarence Williams. (Westerville Public Library)

1 I am not a Scrooge, but I am a realist!

2 Keep in mind that I have only lived in Westerville 21 years.

3 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DBBG-HR?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F

61903%2F1%3A1%3AMMZG-NWH&action=view&cc

4 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRKD-GB3?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2

F61903%2F1%3A1%3AML8B-KQV&action=view&cc=1727033

5 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-S53G-FC?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F6

1903%2F1%3A1%3AZ873-13MM&action=view&cc=1614804

6 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G1DQ-9QMD?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A% 2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AK6FL-X92&action=view&cc=1968530

7 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRC8-9H9?view=index&personArk=%2Fark%3A%2F 61903%2F1%3A1%3AX4Q5-THZ&action=view&cc=1810731