Halloween Ghost Stroll Follows Interesting Ancestors
 | Author:
Nancy Marks, MT43 News Reporter
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Halloween Ghost Stroll Follows Interesting Ancestors
Nancy Marks
MT43 News Reporter
Broadway Street hosted hundreds of goblins, wild animals and fairy princesses on Friday as parents and children paraded from store to store gathering candy and goodies. Like all dynamic community activities, the Stroll and trick or treating have changed.
Originally billed as a move to encourage little ones from trick or treating on dark streets, causing a safety issue, the Townsend Area Chamber of Commerce arranged to close Broadway so local businesses could give out candy. This year, out-of-town and off-main street businesses gave out candy as part of the Trunk or Treat idea encouraged by the Chamber.
This year is not the first year for Trunk or Treat: “We’ve set up our 'candy trunk' for about five years now,” explained Kat Nolen of the Ross Gulch Gang, “I love Halloween and little goblins, but no one comes up Ross Gulch to trick or treat, so we started coming to them in town.”
Dustin Spatzierath and his wife, Jenny, who is the Chamber treasurer, said he liked the idea of Trunk or Treat since he could put his well pump installation business out where parents could learn more about his services. Meanwhile, their children were fascinated by the “smoking” caldron full of spiders.
The trick-or-treating ritual in this community comes from a long line of ancestors. A hundred years ago, high schoolers did major damage to the high school’s upstairs study hall. They dragged a cow up two flights of stairs and left her there overnight, a testimony given by this reporter’s father. Tricksters turned over outhouses and painted doors with white paint. At that point town fathers decided to stop criminal damage in town. The school would sponsor Halloween parties. There would be no trick or treating on the streets.
Over the years, Townsend Rotary and with the help of other organizations, began sponsoring grade school parties. Members coordinated with teachers and parents to set up games, judge costumes and give out candy. Middle schoolers and high school students held dances.
In the 1990s, according to former Townsend resident and Rotarian Beth Ihle, club members burned out sponsoring school parties. Rotarian Chuck Holling suggested the club encourage trick-or-treating by children in town. Teachers, parents and Rotary club members were relieved from hosting school parties and children loved the change.
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PhotoCredit: MT43 News Photos
Image 1 Caption: The little ones at the preschool on Broadway are seen here waving to Townsend Elementary School students as they parade by on Thursday, Oct. 30th in their finest Halloween costumes. School was closed on Oct. 31st, a Friday.
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Image 2 Caption: All kinds of wild animals inhabited the Stroll, but this porcupine "stood out." Mom adjusts the quills as costumed child searches for candy.
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Image 3 Caption: Games of skill at Townsend Hardware are always a hit, including throwing the ring over the pumpkin.
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Image 4 Caption: Toston Blue Ribbon 4-H Club provided hot chocolate for the strollers. The evening weather was fine. Cocoa made it even better.
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Image 5 Caption: This scary ghoul costume loomed large while its stroller searched for "soul satisfying" candy.
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