Holiday Sleds of USC Mary Lynne Spazok
Last December, frosty temperatures and a bountiEarly on, Native Americans built white birch sleds for freedom ful snowfall made for spectacular sledding! Families frolicked at of movement. Hewn from regional timber, New England settlers USC’s most popular jamboree spot, the three-hole golf course. I hand crafted utilitarian sleds in household workshops, with sizes marveled when a local publication reported “Holiday Snowfall varying from a foot to more than four feet. As the population exCauses Sled Shortage in Upper St. Clair.” Retailers in and around panded, sled requests were so great that Henry F. Morton founded the area couldn’t keep up with the demand. The simple solution: the Paris Manufacturing Corporation of South Paris, Maine, in explore the garage, basement, and attic for three classic choices. 1861. Paris assembled oak wood sleds for every Tom, Dick, and • Steerable wooden sled (thin metal runners) Henrietta. Hand painted by Morton’s wife, these well-appointed • Metal or plastic flying disc (a round saucer) luxury classic sleds showcased an ornamental swan design. To• Toboggan (a stretched sled without runners) day, these pricey works of art are in demand, coveted by private While sledding and tobogganing are collectors and museums alike. a winter tradition, old fashioned wooden Published first in 1823, “A Visit from By the light of a roguish winter moon, rides have been woefully relegated to storSt. Nicholas” (Clement Clarke Moore) age. In times of playful emergency, sand is a magical poem whose mysterious A snow man borrowed a sled paper and simple candle wax rejuvenate Christmas Eve visitor bestows gifts. And coasted over the shining fields the vintage ride. Snow sledding is the norm Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, While the children slept in bed. now, but dating back to 2670 B.C., the Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, and simply earliest sleds didn’t need snow. “Santa” is a legendary character of mythiHe trudged uphill, and he coasted down. (Sled)ges were first used to help construct cal, historical, and folkloric origins. In His hat blew off his head; the earliest Egyptian pyramid, Djoser. many western cultures, he is said to bring Across the desert at the Great Pyramid gifts to the homes of the good children on His muffler sailed away on the wind of Giza, 500 limestone quarry stones were the night before Christmas. With Santa As over the snow he sped. transported daily, totaling 2.5 million more popular than ever, the gift of a sled blocks at completion. Moving ahead to appeared in the 1870s Montgomery Ward But he took his place by the wicket gate Europe’s Medieval Era, the word “sled,” catalog. Price tags ranged from 60 cents to Before the stars had fled. derived from Old English “sledde,” means the deluxe $1.15 model. “Now, how could the snow man lose his slider. These sliders moved cargo and comThe Kalamazoo Sled Company had munities as they maneuvered effortlessly its earliest roots of mass production in clothes?” through rock, slick grass, ice, and snow. the 1870s. At that time, sleds sported flat Was what the children said. European explorers were the first to navirunners (until about 1907) and wooden gate Antarctic’s ice sheet mysteries. Exempt —Bertha Wilcox Smith bumpers (until 1915). An articulated from toll fees, thrifty Scandinavians used steering bumper evolved around 1928 and sleds to avoid costly bridge and road tolls. straight line runners continued until 1935. Today, Alaskans maintain dog yards, where hardy sled teams are As sales skyrocketed in the 1930s, bright colors included the critical to sub-zero survival. Worldwide, contemporary moms and perennial favorite—red. Other designs featured applied decals or dads appreciate snow sports for their exhilarating, adrenaline- decorations on the body and the handlebars. Enticing nicknames charged workout. Scampering after the kids, Fido keeps fit, too! included Snow Flake, Yankee Clipper, Devil, American Racer,
Flexible Flyer Royal Racer 10
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Rustic hand crafted sled Holly berry special
Winter 2013