Santa's Workshop

by Earla Haukness

Earla Trist Haukness, the daughter of Grace Henderson Trist who lived in Amesdale in the 1930's, remembers Christmas at Amesdale.  When she was young, every year her family would walk out to Larry Sward's home.  It was the one which was further in the woods, and such a long walk for the children's little legs.  Nevertheless, the children would get so excited going there because they were sure it was Santa's work shop!   It was filled with saw dust, tools, and wooden toys.   It even smelled like Santa's workshop!   

Amesdale and the North Pole are geographically distant, but the Spirit of Christmas was present in equal proportions.   At the annual Christmas concert, then performed in the school, each child received a gift.  But one year the sack of gifts turned up one gift short..... so the youngest Henderson sister got the doll, and the older one had to do without.   Larry, who had been present at the concert and felt badly for the girl with no gift, so over the following weeks made her a doll and delivered it to her!