South Dakota Christmas On Main Street

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Main Street is close to the heart of the two lane road. It is where the mom and pop restaurant, the old hardware store, the gas station and the five and dime variety store were located. Main Street is perhaps the most enduring and replicated civic construct in America. In big city neighborhoods, and small towns across the country we resurrect “Main Streets” with reproduction street lights, restored store fronts, and retro soda fountains.

 

In my never ending quest for the “authentic” along America’s two lane roads, I discovered a Main Street and a 1938 amateur movie that are worth sharing. I know the movie is “authentic.” But I have yet to visit the town.

is a one minute Christmas time clip from the 200 minute movie taken in Britton, SD. Hopefully it will capture your interest to see more. (No, that isn’t DennyG in the Santa suit!!)

 

I owe this “discovery” to ChadSDPhoto because his posts redirected my attention to South Dakota. I picked the small town of Britton almost at random, as I looked casually at classic court houses….. a fair indicator of an interesting community to visit. But to my amazement a search on the web turned up an unbelievable movie done by a resident (Ivan Besse) who had the “audacity” to film at random his neighbors as they walked or worked on Main Street over a period of about a year in 1938-39.

 

To be honest, the full 200 minutes might be a bit more than most will watch. There is no script, no story line, no staging….just lots of moving images as life unfolds at random on a real American Main Street just before WWII. Great stuff if you want to see the real thing! Look for details in the background, as well as how people interacted on Main Street. I love it!

 

But now I must visit Britton! Some of the old main street and environs still exist…heck, some of the children in the movie must still be there boring today’s “youngins” with tales of the old days. Ivan himself was still alive in 2003…and may still be holding his own today for all I know.

 

Britton is not far off the Yellowstone Trail, and is celebrating its 125 anniversary in July 2009 (as per its web site). I can think of a dozen ways to incorporate the movie into the celebration, which I assume they are doing. What a kick, and what a treasure!

 

You can find all ten 20 minute segments of the movie at archive.org where it is labeled as in the public domain.

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

[DennyG]

(No, that isn’t DennyG in the Santa suit!!)

Well, I used to be able to dance like that.

 

What a great thing for a town (or anyone else) to have. I don't know that I'll be able to watch all 200 minutes but I must need more detailed instructions for finding them. I got to archives.org but (it's my first time) had no luck finding Britton.

 

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Well, I used to be able to dance like that.

 

What a great thing for a town (or anyone else) to have. I don't know that I'll be able to watch all 200 minutes but I must need more detailed instructions for finding them. I got to archives.org but (it's my first time) had no luck finding Britton.

 

Denny,

 

Thanks for the reply! Here is a link to the first segment. That should get you started. Oh, BTW, I think the best search term is “Besse,” in case you need it.

 

http://www.archive.org/details/sIvanBes1938_2

 

I sort of caught the last chapters of the Main Street era in my early years. I remember the “excitement” when Sears Roebuck moved out of downtown to a suburban site surrounded by acres of parking…the beginning of the end (but I didn’t know it) of Main Street.

 

I never want to claim it was better in the old days, but it obviously was different. All you have to do is watch the interaction of people in the movie, and this was in hard times, to appreciate it was different.

 

Anyway, this is the best representation I have ever seen of small town America’s Main Street, unrehearsed, unedited, and about as authentic as it can be….even boring at times, but great nonetheless.

 

Keep an eye out for the service station and the guy who works there. The fire truck is at City Hall, and right next door to City Hall is the liquor store…it may even be that Santa got a little “fortified” for the cold before he made his appearance! How many mom and pop restaurants can you spot, what about the variety store and the hardware store, and hundred of great cars

 

And note the earthmoving “equipment,” mostly shovels, and probably WPA funded. And the parades. And what about the community turnout at the cemetery to honor those who died in WWI, the war to end all wars?

 

I can't find any photos of downtown Britton today, but I know that the Strand Theater still exists because there was a showing of Besse's movie there in 2003, and he attended! I truly hope that Britton makes maximum use of this treasure in their 125th year celebration next year

 

Thanks again for the response!

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave