A pre-Christmas stroll through downtown Laurinburg was the beginnings of Christmas dreams for most in the “Baby Boomer” generation. From the Christmas-themed movies that were playing in our two theatres, the Gibson and the Center, and the crowds who were either looking and dreaming — to those who were able to actually buy.
Christmas season in downtown was a magical time.
The Laurinburg Bakery always seemed to bake extra gingerbread men, some decorated as Santa, and the sweet scents of their fresh donuts filled the air.
The Legion Drug Store was a popular high school gathering place with its soda fountain dispensing 5-cent cokes and ice cream cones, two booths to sit and enjoy, and their aisles were restocked with Christmas gifts to capture your attention.
Our three “dime stores” — Rose’s, Wood’s and Eubank’s — replenished their toy sections along with McNair’s Department Store, Western Auto, Firestone, Creech’s Hardware, Everington Drug, Sears, Scotland Drug, and Eastern Auto.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of children could dream of possible Christmas magic, but even then, as now, not all children or families could afford even the simple gifts.
If there could have been a personally painful memory of the early racially segregated times, it was in meeting a friendly black child staring in the window of a drug store with a soda fountain and looking at some of their toys. We talked briefly about our dreams for Christmas, and as I motioned for us to go in and look, he simply said, “I can’t.”
My young mind did not truly catch what he meant, but later in life the memory revealed the painful reality.
Downtown Laurinburg was blessed with clothing stores that catered mainly to adults: Barron Mill’s, The McNeill Shop, Singletons, Rizk’s, The Glamour Shop, Jernigan’s, Rastom’s, Julia’s, McNair’s, and Belk’s. Certainly there were others that I’ve forgotten.
We were also blessed with jewelry stores — again, mainly for adults unless you wanted to see and hear hundreds of antique pendulum and coo-coo clocks at the Edwin T. McCall Jewelry Store. Others were Bob’s, DuRants and Robert’s.
Another popular place was the small Music Center at the corner of South Main and McKay. It was Laurinburg’s only place for records, sheet music, and band supplies.
Living walking distance from downtown also had another advantage that would no longer be possible today: During the last few days before Christmas, many stores would stay open as late as 8 p.m. for the many last-minute shoppers. With the colorful Christmas lights strung across South Main Street, and the smiling faces, it was safe for an 11- or 12-year-old boy to walk down Main Street on a weekend night. It was also the time when children could, on Oct. 31, walk the streets in small groups and safely “trick or treat” in nearly every neighborhood with porch lights burning.
Of course, those days are forever in the past and our memories, but today a lively group of local volunteers have begun to capture the magic of the Christmas season in downtown Laurinburg for all people of all generations. ‘Tis the Season has a headquarters (in the old Legion Drug building) and has lined South Main Street with dozens of Christmas trees that have been “adopted” and decorated by local groups, businesses, and people. With the decorated street lights, downtown Laurinburg reveals the welcome colors and scenes of memorable Christmases in the past.
“Christmas on Main” premiered their weekend activities on Sunday afternoon, and brought thousands to the downtown festivities. Additional activities are planned every upcoming weekend through Dec. 31.
Yes, downtown Laurinburg is slowly restoring and reinventing itself, and Sunday’s “Christmas on Main” has thus far proved to be a delightful event for everyone of every generation. Maybe, just maybe, with the coming colder weather, we will get a pre-Christmas snow as the one remembered from the late 1950s or early 1960s.
I can still taste that warm, refreshing cup of hot chocolate from Everington Drug, and certainly a return visit to downtown in the snow would find many reliving their earlier memories and the younger generations will be creating their future “happy memories.”
Beacham McDouglad is a Laurinburg resident and Scotland County historian.
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