MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — Vintage Evergleam trees light up downtown windows, connecting people to the city's manufacturing legacy.
Christmas is coming early to 8th Street in Manitowoc, with vintage aluminum Evergleam trees sparkling in windows throughout downtown. Behind the festive display lies a deeper connection to the city's rich manufacturing history.
This marks the second year that Downtown Manitowoc has hosted a Christmas in July event, joining forces with the Evergleams on Eighth initiative.
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"We decided to do something to have the trees in the windows to kind of join those two things together," said Cathy Karl, owner of Heart and Homestead.
The summer celebration began after visitors from North Dakota made a winter journey specifically to see the aluminum trees.
"He said I just wonder why you don't do this when it's warmer, you are in a cold winter area, and so we thought well, we'll do that," said Barbara Bundey-Jost, president of Evergleams on Eighth.
But these glittering trees represent more than just holiday decor — they're symbols of Manitowoc's industrial heritage.
"It's a cleverly hidden secret that we don't want so cleverly hidden anymore," Bundey-Jost said.
The first Evergleam tree was manufactured in Manitowoc in 1959, initially designed for home assembly. Production soon expanded with a dedicated workforce, ultimately resulting in over 1 million trees produced.
"Women would put their kiddos to bed and they wanted to make some extra money for Christmas and they would go work third shift," Bundey-Jost said.
The workforce consisted primarily of women, from college students to mothers.
"It still allowed you to be a mom during the day and do all the things you needed to do but at night you were a little, a little Santa's elf," Bundey-Jost said.
This aluminum heritage continues to influence the community today, including downtown business owner Amber Daugs.
"My non-profit organization is housed in a church that used to provide meals to the migrant folks that were working at the mirro factory itself so we are just really grateful to be able to support our history," Daugs said.
The Mid Mod Manitowoc celebration continues throughout the week and into the weekend with a car show, vintage market, and more activities.
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