Black and white photo with cars from 1950s on a downtown street
This vintage photo shows a Christmas parade in downtown Mount Vernon, but it lacks a date. Cars and business details in the picture may give a clue toward the date of the photograph. Credit: (Image courtesy of The Knox Time Collection.)

History Knox

Mark Sebastian Jordan authors a History Knox column each Saturday for Knox Pages, reflecting on the community's past.

MOUNT VERNON — This vintage photo from the Knox Time Collection captures a Christmas parade through downtown Mount Vernon, and it struck me as a nice way to kick off the Christmas season this weekend.

No date is attached to the photo, so unless anyone out there has a better idea, the most I can say is that it appears to be from the early 1950s, judging by the vehicle that is carrying Santa Claus.

If the photo were just a hair sharper, we’d be able to resolve the date on the license plate of the car.

On the vehicles in front of Santa, all identifying details are covered by their decorations as floats.

The old pickup truck, parked just about in front of the big “No Parking” sign at the Sure Pep gas station, looks like it might be from the early to mid-1940s.

The stores and restaurants are of that period, with the Elite Café’s sign being easily readable a little further up South Main Street, with Nobil’s Fine Food and Liquor behind it.

The businesses on that side going up the street are not visible, though a large painted wall announces the Curtis Hotel way up on Public Square.

Several of the roofs sport large antennas. Are those for television at this early date, or radio?

On the other side of the street, a man in glasses seems bemused by the photographer. If anyone recognizes him, it would help set the time frame. Behind him, other people watch the parade in front of Elaine’s Coat and Dress shop.

The boy seems to be wearing unusually wide pants for those days, which always make me think of narrow-legged jeans.

Behind that, a large sign points to the B. F. Goodrich store, which in those days sold appliances and household goods as well as the tires which most of us remember from more recent years.

Above that, a large building wall holds a billboard for two stores, which we only partially see. Is the top one an advertisement or Rudin’s Department Store? It appears that the lower one might be for a Montgomery Ward store.

A later picture from the Knox Time Collection shows that the gas station had become a Sohio station by 1959, so that at least gives us an upper limit for the date of this parade.

History Knox sleuths, put on your thinking caps and let us know!