(Photo provided by Trego County Historical Society Museum)
By Dena Weigel Bell
WaKeeney Travel Blog
The Trego County Historical Society Museum's celebration of the 70thanniversary of the “Christmas City of the High Plains” continues into its fourth month, with an exhibit that tells the story of Downtown WaKeeney's famous Christmas display.
The “Christmas City of the High Plains” Exhibit
Museum curators have been busy adding more items to their exhibit each month since its opening in July. The exhibit has steadily been increasing in size, with each month exploring a different phase in the history of WaKeeney’s light display.
In July, the museum featured Christmas tree inspired items, such as Christmas trees shaped cookie cutters, salt and pepper shakers, Christmas stockings, and many more items. Each month, fourteen more representations of Christmas trees are added until November, when the full collection of 70 items will complete the display.
The tree’s construction and its ornaments were examined in the August exhibit, with several made to scale cardboard cutouts of the wreaths, bells, and stars available to view up close. Information cards further explore how two local community leaders, Art Keraus and J.H. “Jake” Heckman came up with the concept and rallied the Trego County community to lend their time, talents, and even heavy equipment to install the very first light display in 1950.
September’s addition to the exhibit took a look at the history of the official 1988 logo and the many different items that have promoted the “Christmas City of the High Plains” through the years.
The logo was created by WaKeeney native Tracey Deines Davis, cofounder of Duncan and Davis advertising firm. It has since been used on keychains, postcards, ornaments, mugs, and many other treasured keepsakes that remind us of special Christmases spent in WaKeeney.
Celebrate with Us in the “Christmas City of the High Plains”
Explore the history of WaKeeney’s spectacular Christmas light display with a trip to the Trego County Historical Museum.
The exhibit will continue to explore a new theme every month until Saturday, November 28, 2020, when we will celebrate 70 years since WaKeeney’s first Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.
The museum has created a scavenger hunt to find all the trees currently on display and visitors can check back each month to find the new trees that have been added to the display.