What the Children Wanted in 1921

Letters to Santa, published in the Rockingham Post-Dispatch, Dec. 22, 1921

I want you to come see me Christmas and bring me a rifle and four packages of shot to shoot the rifle, a good plow, and all kinds of confectionaries.

I am a little boy, nine years old. I will close for this time.

Your little friend, Gus Covington

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I am a little boy 7 years old. I won’t ask you for very much. Please bring me a suit of clothes and cap pistol and some caps and firecrackers, nuts and oranges and apples and candy.

Yours very truly, Benford Morse, Steele’s Mills

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Will you please bring me an Indian suit, a drum, a stopper gun and a cap pistol.

Your little friend, Harlee Odom, Rockingham

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I am a boy 10 years old, but I want you to bring me a knife with a chain on it and an air rifle and oranges and apples, candy, raisins, nuts and fire crackers.

Porter Sugg

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Please bring me some apples, nuts, candy, grapes and oranges and a sleepy doll. I am 8 years old.

Good night, Alice Thrower, Entwistle

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I am a little boy 6 years old but I will be 7 before you come. Please bring me a nice tool box, a coon jigger, a big horn, a top, a wheel-barrow and some firecrackers and sky rockets.

John Hasty Swink Jr.

P.S. If you come in time, you can eat supper with us.

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Please send me a bicycle and some candy and fruit.

Margaret Dickson, Rockingham

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I will write you a few lines. I want you to come to see me Xmas. I want you to bring me a little car large enough to ride in and lots of candy and nuts. I have three little sisters and I want you to bring them something too.

So goodbye, from your little boy, Louis Morse, Rockingham

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I want you to bring me a nice doll, a rubber ball and fruit and candy and nuts. I am a little girl 7 years old. I am in the second grade.

Nannie Bell Millikia, Ellerbe

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To Santa Claus, North Pole

I am a little boy 11 years old. I want you to bring me a Boy Scout bugle and a doughface and lots of fruits and nuts and candy.

Your true friend, Walter McNair, Rockingham

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I am a boy 9 years old and please bring me a football, harp and some fruit, candy and nuts. Thank you.

Your friend, Paul Millikin, Ellerbe

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I will write to let you know what I want you to bring me. I want some candy, apples, oranges, raisins, negrotoes and a dancer. I have 2 sisters and they want a doll apiece and candy and apples, oranges, and bring me what you can. I am 5 years old. I will close for this time.

From your truly friend, Thaddeus Ussery, Ellerby, Rt. 2

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Please bring me a box of candy, a baby doll, a pretty string of pearls, a birthstone ring, a good story book, some apples, candy, nuts, oranges and raisins.

Your friend, Helen Grant

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Please bring me a tea set, a little doll, a chair, a cradle, a doll house and candy.

Ida Willinal

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Please bring me a wagon, a train, a gun, a horn, a cap pistol and a box of candy.

Ralph Willinal

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Please bring me a great big doll and apples, nuts, oranges and fruit, and a ball and a pencil and tablet.

Gracie Lee Godfrey, Ellerbe

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Please bring me a sleepy doll, a doll bed and carriage and some fruit and candy.

Your little friend, Louise Odom, Rockingham

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Thank you for the things you brought last year. I want a pistol and some caps and a bag of marbles and a story book and a tool set and a lunch box and mother a sewing basket and father a hat and I want some raisins and some other fruit.

Your friend, Jim Dockery Williams

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I want a knife and a French harp and firecrackers, candy, nuts, apples, oranges. I am a boy 8 years old.

Roy Sugg, Ellerbe

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I am a little boy 9 years old. I wish that you would bring me a Boy Scout drum. I would like for you to bring me lots of fireworks and a doughface and lots of fruit.

Your loving friend, Archie McNair, Rockingham

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I want some candy, apples, oranges, raisins and an air rifle. I am 11 years old. I have 4 brothers and 3 sisters. Well, as I have written enough, I will close. Goodbye.

Yours truly, Theodore Ussery, Ellerbe, Rt. 2

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I want you to bring me a doll and doll carriage and some apples, oranges and candy and raisins, nuts. I am a little girl 3 years old.

Anna Bell Sugg, Ellerbe

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Will you please bring me a football, an erector set and a ram rod gun.

Your loving friend, L.L. Odom Jr., Rockingham

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As it is nearly Xmas I want to write you to tell you to come to see me. I don’t know hardly what I do want. I would like to have a bicycle, but of course I would be glad to have anything you will bring me. I sure want some candy, nuts and all kinds of fruit.

With love to you, from Shirley Morse, Rockingham

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I want a pretty doll, a ring, and some confectionaries. I am a small little girl, ten years old, and am in the fourth grade. I have been on the honor roll once. My teacher’s name is Cousin Gracie Covington. She is a real sweet teacher and I want you to please remember her on Christmas night. Well, Santa, I will close.

Your true girl, Betsy Wall Nichols

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I will write you to tell you what I want you to bring me. I want you to bring me three packages of air rifle shot, a knife, and some confectionaries. I am ten year sold, and in the fourth grade. I have been on the honor roll three months. Well, I will close for this time.

Your little boy, Floyd Wall Nichols

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I will write you a little letter to let you know what I want for Christmas. I want a piano, a doll, and some confectionaries. I have been a good little girl. I am eleven years old.

Bessie Calahan

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I will write you a letter to let you know what I want you to bring me. I want you to bring me a piano, a bureau, some confectionaries, a sewing box, and a doll. That is all I want for Christmas.

I will close, Lena Perkins

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I will write you a little letter to tell you what I want. I want a carriage and a piano, and some confectionaries.

I will close, Your true girl, Lila Perkins

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I want a doll with curly hair, a piano, pair of bedroom slippers, a basketball, a pair of kid gloves, and some confectionaries.

Your true little girl, Katherine Covington

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I want you to bring me a little piano and a story book, a basketball, and a pair of bedroom slippers.

Your true friend, Dorothy Covington

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I will write you a little letter to let you know what I want you to bring me. I want a doll carriage and a doll, and lots of confectionaries.

Your true little girl, Robbie Lee Ellerbe

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I will write you a little letter to let you know what I want you to bring me. An air rifle, cap pistol, and confectionaries.

I will close, James Ellerbe

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Please bring me a doll, a doll carriage, a story book, and lots of confectionaries. That is all I want, so I will close.

Your little girl, Katie Ruth Martin

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Please bring me a sewing box, a piece of ribbon, a ring, a Christmas box, some confectionaries, and a pair of bedroom slippers for grandma, so I will close.

Your true friend, Ollie Martin

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I want some fire crackers, some confectionaries, some Roman candles, a cap pistol, and some sparklers. Well, I will close for this time.

John Shepherd

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Please excuse all mistakes and bad writing.

I am writing you to tell you what I want you to bring me. I want you to bring me a pair of bed-room slippers, some confectionaries, some little fire-crackers, and anything else, Santa, that you can spare. I am a little girl twelve years old and I am in the fifth grade. My teacher’s name is Cousin Grace Covington, and she is a good teacher, and I want you to be good to her. Well, I will close for this time.

Elsie Nichols

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Christmas, please bring me a sweet little doll, a story book, some fire crackers, sky rockets, Roman candles, lots of sparklers, lots of confectionaries, and anything else you can spare.

I am a little girl ten years old and in the fifth grade. I have been just as good as I can be. My teacher is Cousin Grace Covington. She sure is a good one, too, so be good to her Christmas.

Your little girl, Sarah Louise Ellerbe

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I will write you a little letter to tell you want I want Christmas. I want a little doll, a sewing box, a basket ball, a hat with streamers, or a tassel on the side, and some confectionaries.

I am a little girl ten years old, and in the fifth grade. My teacher’s name is Cousin Grace Covington. Please don’t forget her Christmas night. She is a sweet teacher. I have been on the honor roll twice. I will close till next Christmas.

Your true girl, Louisa Covington

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I want a big doll with long curly hair. I want a pretty white straw hat on her head, and some confectionaries, and I want a necklace with a watch in the middle. I will close for this time.

Your true girl, Mary Lampley

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I am a little boy 13 years old and I am in the fourth grade. I am going to tell you want I want. I want 3 packages of fire crackers, a pair of leggings, and an air rifle with some shot, a pocket knife, a rubber ball, a sky rocket, some apples, oranges, candies and nuts. Well, Santa Claus, I will close for this year.

Your friend, Luther Calahan

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Thank you for the things you brought last year. Please bring me a big doll and a cart and some fruits. Please bring mother and father something too. Please bring me some nuts and a sweater and some raisins. Please bring my little brother and sister something. Please bring me a tea set.

Your friend, Ina Kelly

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Please bring me a overcoat, and some Roman candles and sparklers and fire crackers. Also some fruit and candy.

From your little boy, [unfortunately, the newspaper omitted the name]

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Please bring me a large doll and some fruit and sparklers, and if you can, please bring me a doll bed and carriage. Thank you.

I am your little girl, Hallie Covington Kelly

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Thank you for the things you brought me last year. Please bring me a sleeping doll, some apples, oranges, nuts, raisins and candy, a ball, some story books and a tea set. Bring my little brother a gun. I am in a hurry writing this letter, so this is all this time.

Your Friend, Carrie Mae Lowe