Editor's note: Salem Reporter originally published a version of this column in 2021 and is republishing an updated version ahead of the holiday season.
Salem's first outdoor Christmas tree was erected on the lawn of the Marion County Courthouse in December 1913 and is believed to be the first outdoor tree in Oregon (and perhaps the entire country) decorated with Christmas lights.
The tree was originally planted on the Marion County Courthouse lawn in 1882 by Judge JJ Shaw and was a Norway spruce. Salem's Cherrians installed scaffolding which they used to install lighting around the tree.
According to the December 22, 1913 Capital Journal, the Cherrians distributed 1,500 tickets to the tree lighting event held in Salem on Christmas Eve.
The Statesman Journal reported on December 28, 1913 that the event was a great success. The Cherrians began the event with a parade led by their band. The music was provided by a double quartet and Cherrian singers, who were accompanied by the Cherrian band and piano. Their song “Hallelujah, Amen” was said to be the best outdoor choir ever heard in the capital, and the program ended with a beautiful rendition of “O Holy Night.”
Salem's Ladies Auxiliary also collected donations of clothing and other items to be distributed to the poor, including over 50 baskets of food containing enough provisions for a family of four or five. The children of these families were treated to boxes of candy as well as a picture screening at 'e Liberty Theatere, where the children enjoyed Ye Liberty's annual free children's matinee.
Kaylyn F. Mabey wrote in the 2016 Statesman Journal article about Salem's first outdoor Christmas tree: “Salem claims the nation's first lighted, uncut tree.”
Mabey wrote that in 1913 the tree was about 40 feet tall and had attracted the attention of brothers Richard and Frank Barton, electrical engineers from New York City. They owned the Salem Electric Company, which was located on the ground floor of the Masonic Building on High Street. I was excited to come across mention of the Bartons again, as I had written about them in a previous history column (the History Mystery at 901 Capitol).
While New York had the first cut lighted tree at Madison Square Garden the year before, no one had ever lit an uncut tree for Christmas, so it would actually be the first in the United States. This tree served as Salem's Christmas tree for 38 years after the first lighting and was 72 feet tall in 1951. Soon the Marion County Courthouse would be demolished and replaced with a new, more modern courthouse. Unfortunately, on August 18, 1952, the 70-year-old tree was hit by a bulldozer and burned along with three other evergreen trees from that block.
The 29th Annual Salem Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony took place on November 29th at Riverfront Park. Although Salem's first living Christmas tree is gone and the Cherrians disbanded in 1968, both still leave us a wonderful legacy of community service and celebration.
Deb Meaghers and Christy Van Heukelem addressed the legacy of the Salem Cherrians on their radio show “Salem History Matters” during an episode focused on the legacy of Salem's cherry industry. To learn more, you can visit her Spotlight on History blog.
Kimberli Fitzgerald, Salem's historic preservation officer, writes for Salem Reporter about local history and the city's historic preservation efforts. Contact them at
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Kimberli Fitzgerald is an archaeologist and preservationist for the city of Salem. She is a regular contributor to the Salem Reporter's local history column.