Holidays at Ford's...
Ford's Department Store in the early 60s was the place to go at Christmass time. It was Watsonvilles own version of Macy's. My Mother having come here from San Francisco, shopped there almost exclusively. From the bird filled covered parking to the fancy elevator to the little luncheon bar at the entrance. Watsonville at the time had fancy lighted decorations over each street and Ford's department store featured a set of large lighted figures looking like 18 century singers on their roof. People dressed up when they went to shop. Men wore hats and wemon wore dresses and heals. Ford's caried the latest of most everything from wedding dresses to fine china, beds to washing machines. Going there  to shop at Chirstmass was an event for us and many of our Corralitos neighbors. I remember going in after church. All the ladies and Christmas Corsages. The egg salad sandwiches and cherry coke I ate at the lunch counter, while waiting with my sister for mom to finish shopping. The crowds of folks all dressed up with kids and packages in tow. Christmass music and driving home in the darkness.  We loved counting the decorated trees in the windows of our neighbors along  Blake and Alderage roads.

Latter, in the early 80s . Watsonville needed to replace their old Chistmass decorations, but  oppted not to spend the money.

Santa comes to 1 Blake. 
Christmass in the valley was great. From our vantage point at One Blake we could see right across to the hills on the other side. Right out those big picture windows from the old Southern Pacific Depo. The tree went right in front of them. Not many in those days had outside lighting so it was important to place your tree where all the neighbors could see it. Dad liked to get our tree at the Corn Palace on East Lake. Off we'd go in the old Studibaker, our tie ropes ready. We'd return and wait for Dad to put it in the stand. My parents loved all kinds of music. So the old victrola played Bing Crosby , Swan Lake and Burl Eves while we readied the Bubble lights. Frequent trips to Ford's Department Store were in order and Chistmass Corsages were worn in mass, the larger the better. When I was about 4,  my Dad set up a bear trap by our tree, claiming he'd be sure to catch Santa. Christmas morning as the sun poured thru the big windows , I saw that it was sprung with a boot and a bit of red velvet and white beard.  I burst into tears as my Dad fell over laughing. It took awhile for him to convince me that Santa was all right.