From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 25, 1915:

• “If there is any family in Lawrence which today hasn’t a Christmas dinner or any child which did not receive a toy on Christmas morning, it is because the most careful investigation of a number of organizations failed to bring the need to light. It is believed there is none, and that some measure of Christmas cheer is to be found today in every home. Yesterday afternoon was devoted to a distribution of Christmas dinners by the Salvation Army and the Social Service League. In the neighborhood of 100 dinners were taken to families over town in need of them…. Dr. E. E. Stauffer yesterday voiced his appreciation of the response that had been made showing the willingness of the people of Lawrence to help out in cases of need.”
• “Christmas was observed at the county institutions today with the best dinner that could be served…. The seventeen prisoners in the county jail were remembered by Sheriff Cummings today with regular Christmas fare, of which the central dish was a twenty-one pound turkey. Along with the turkey were all the proper trimmings, including oyster dressing, cranberry sauce, celery, potatoes, peas, mince pie and coffee.”
• “The Elks lodge arranged today to entertain 400 children at 9:30 o’clock this morning at the Elks lodge rooms. A big Christmas tree stood in the lodge room. Packages containing peanuts, candy, animal crackers, oranges, apples, bananas, and two toys each were in a ‘fish pond’ from which they were to be drawn by the guests.”
• “Promptly at 6 o’clock tonight the lights will be turned on on the first municipal Christmas Tree Lawrence has ever had. Mayor W. J. Francisco will press the button which will illuminate the tree and following that a short Christmas program will be given. There will be no gifts on the tree. It will be an expression of the unity of feeling in the community for celebrating the greatest festival of all the year in a Christian land. There were some misgivings yesterday on the part of the local committee which had the municipal tree in charge when the weather turned suddenly bad and conditions became decidedly unpleasant underfoot. But it is believed that the weather will not be bad enough to prevent the attendance of a great crowd…. People will have had sufficient notice so that they can go warmly clad and protected against any sort of weather that may prevail.”
• “Topeka. – Several thousand blue-clad army veterans will sit down to Christmas dinner in Kansas tomorrow according to reports to Corwin A. Weeks, department commander of the G. A. R. Preparations have been made to care for 900 persons at dinner tomorrow at the National Soldiers’ Home in Leavenworth while four hundred are expected at the state soldiers’ home in Dodge City.”