"Santa Claus, Indiana...discover a true small Christmas village,
with mammoth year-around Christmas spirit,
that until now has been a local Christmas best kept secret."
With a commemorative Santa Claus postmark, the only official Santa Claus Post Office processes thousands of letters to and from Santa Claus every Christmas.
From the year 1852 to 2010...
For just under twenty years a small community, established in the late 1840s by early settlers of mostly German descent, was known only as the "nameless town." You see, that's because the town didn't have a name... not even an unofficial one.
Many suggestions were made including "Wyttenbach" after a popular circuit riding preacher who declined, not being a town native. However, it seemed each name agreed upon was already taken.
It was 1852 and the Christmas Eve service, held in a small log church, had just concluded. The final town meeting of the year was held with everyone, including the children, present. There was only one order of business that night, as with numerous others, the naming of their nameless town.
So, the same frustrating discussion continued around the black pot-bellied, wood burning stove when a cold December gust blew open the door of the church. The adults were suddenly silenced yet the children, quiet up to this point, came to life.
Through the seemingly magical picture-framed doorway was an unforgettable scene of angelically falling snowflakes against a black velvet sky. Those present also reported a faint distant sound of sleigh bells ringing through the quiet winter breeze.
The adults, somewhat puzzled knowing there was no one else around for miles, wondered whose sleigh bells it could be. The children however, always looking for reasons to believe, ran to the door exclaiming the name that even the adults were all thinking, "Santa Claus, it's Santa Claus!"
So it was, almost 158 years ago, because of the sound of mysterious sleigh bells, the small nameless town in Southern Indiana got its name: Santa Claus, Indiana. No longer can you count the number of residents with your fingers and toes. In fact, by percentage, Santa Claus is considered one of the fastest growing communities in Indiana in recent years. In 1967, with a population of just 37 has now grown to well over 2,000 according to the 2000 Census.
In a sense, you might call that a population of two thousand and one. You see, each Christmas this small town post office, named after St. Nick himself, processes more mail during the holiday season than all other months combined. Letters come from all over the world some with not more than a single name "Santa Claus" inscribed. Often written in crayon these letters are carefully assembled with the utmost sincerity.
As early as 1920, Jim Martin, then the postmaster of the Santa Claus Post Office, noticed a growing number of letters arriving addressed only to "Santa Claus." He decided, with the help of Jim Yellig and the Santa Claus American Legion, to answer these letters which continues to this day.
A very popular family tradition, up until now known mostly to those within driving distance, is now available over the internet. Parents and grandparents, some from many miles away, drive to Santa Claus, Indiana each year to mail a very special personal letter from Santa Claus to their child or grandchild to enhance that once in a lifetime magical belief in Santa Claus. Mailed with the only official Santa Claus postmark, designed by a child each year, proves to children worldwide that Santa Claus truly does exist.
In the 1930s, attorney Milton Harris along with the Curtiss Candy Company built "The Candy Castle" providing candy to visitors. The Candy Castle has since been completely renovated by entreprenuer Kevin Klowski who has created a popular stop for visitors to Santa Claus. See www.santascandycastle.com.
In 1946, Evansville industrialist Louis J. Koch, looking to commemorate Santa Claus even more in the town named after him, opened Santa Claus Land which was the world's first theme park. (Disney Land came 9 years later.) Since, the Koch family decided to expand this popular park to include other holidays now known as Holiday World & Splashin' Safari. See www.holidayworld.com.
Today, Santa Claus Indiana celebrates everything for which Santa Claus is known each and every day. From the names of the streets to the town's architectural decor, this small Christmas village emits the magical Christmas spirit all year long.
