Since the holiday season is upon us, let us take a moment to remember the senior class’ grand ball. The event, right out of a children’s fairytale book, took place on the evening of December 15, 1950.
Once upon a time, in a beautiful snowcapped mountain town, there was an exquisite ball at the local high school. Known as the Senior Hop, the festive dance had a different theme each winter. Along with other holiday events around town, the dance helped get locals in the cheerful Christmas mood. Senior class members of Park City High spent weeks preparing before the night arrived. The decorating committee worked incredibly hard to prepare for the event, and spent a great deal of time in the gym setting up. They brought in Christmas trees, hung icicles across the ceiling, created different Christmas scenes along the walls, and strategically placed mistletoe.
Though many members of the committee spent long hours after school hanging decorations, they managed to have some fun as well. On December 21st the Park Record highlighted some of the comical events leading up to the dance stating, “There were no major injuries while the seniors were decorating for their annual Senior Hop but there was one minor casualty. Betty Davies was diligently decorating one corner of the gym to represent a Christmas scene. She covered the walls with blue paper, and while poking around, she disappeared. A quick search revealed her in the ventilator, chuckling. It seems that what she thought was solid wasn’t. In spite of all this, the decorations were soon finished, and afterward the gym seemed to glow with Christmas spirit.”
Credit: Park City Historical Society & Museum, Kendall Webb Collection
Thanks to the committee’s hard work when the night finally arrived the dance mirrored a scene from ‘A Winter Wonderland.’ The gymnasium was transformed to create a magical atmosphere while providing warmth and shelter from the winter weather elements. The location wasn’t the only thing dressed to the nines, however. The girls dressed to impress in their most festive outfits, and the boys looked dapper in their suits. The ‘Winter Wonderland’ ball proved to be all that the 1950 senior class had hoped it to be, no doubt lasting in their memories for years to come.
Fortunately for us, well known photographer Kendall Webb attended the dance to take pictures. Through his photographs readers gain not only a sense of nostalgia, but can also feel as if they, too, attended the evening.
As you reflect on your holiday memories, take this time with your family to enjoy the holiday season and all that it has to offer. The Park City Museum would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
The Park City Historical Society & Museum is celebrating 30 years of preserving, protecting, and promoting Park City’s history and heritage.