MANITOWOC, Wis. — A walk through downtown Manitowoc this holiday season is a reminder of Christmases past, and the role aluminum Christmas trees played in the city’s history.
‘Evergleams on Eighth’ is a program that puts the aluminum Christmas trees on display at downtown businesses.
“When you see these sparkling trees in the window, you really are drawn to them and the history of them, and you think, 'Wow, these were made here,'" said Cathy Karl, owner of Heart & Homestead, 909 S. 8th St., where several of the trees are displayed.
The story of the city’s connection to the trees begins in 1957, when an executive for Aluminum Specialty Company of Manitowoc saw one of the trees in Chicago, according to the Manitowoc County Historical Society.
In 1959, Aluminum Specialty debuted their own version, and sold more than 200,000 of the trees in the first year.
The Mirro Aluminum Company also sold a version, according to an ‘Evergleams on Eighth’ brochure.
Barbara Bundy-Jost said she grew up in Manitowoc and remembers seeing an aluminum tree at her grandmother’s house. Bundy-Jost now collects the trees.
“So those trees represent good, warm memories, and it's kind of nice to open a box and re-live that every year,” Bundy-Jost said.
The ‘Evergleams on Eighth’ display is scheduled to run through January 6, according to downtownmanitowoc.org.
