Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 28
Around GEORGIA
By Amber Lanier Nagle
d
For the town
s of Santa Claus an n.
o
Bethlehem, '
tis always the seas
phone rings in a brick building embellished with
pine boughs and bright red bows in Santa
Claus, a tiny town in Southeast Georgia.
"We get calls from all over the world, all
through the year," says Sue Grisham, city
secretary. "Sometimes the kids call, and sometimes
a parent is on the other end of the line, and I realize
that I'm on their speakerphone."
Most of the time, the caller inquires whether
a particular child is on Santa's naughty or nice list.
Grisham plays along and gives an Academy AwardSanta Claus, a small town in Southeast Georgia,
pays tribute to its namesake with a welcome sign
at the border.
worthy performance.
"I say: 'Well, let me see ... Hmmmm. There's his name. Oh,
my ... It's really, really close. I think if he is very good the rest of
the year, he'll make it to Santa's nice list, but he's going to have to
be on his best behavior,'" she says with a laugh.
When a child calls and asks to speak directly with the jolly
old elf, Grisham handles it like a pro.
"I explain to them that Santa is at his other home at the
North Pole, and then I offer to take a message," she says. "They
usually accept that."
People who live in Santa Claus and other towns with
Christmas-themed names usually embrace the novelty of it all. A
few Georgia communities boast Christmassy names, making for
a merry and bright holiday season.
Here comes Santa Claus
AMBER LANIER NAGLE
Toombs County; population: 175
28
Georgia Magazine
December 2019
Back in the '30s, Calvin Greene, who ran a little pecan stand
on Highway 1, believed that naming his community Santa Claus
would entice motorists traveling from Maine to Key West, Fla., to
stop and purchase pecans. His idea worked, and after the town
was incorporated in 1941, Greene served as its first mayor.
"Then [real estate developer] Bill Salem developed the city
in the '60s," Grisham says. "He added water, sewer and streets
and built houses."
Today, during the holidays, the town of Santa Claus becomes somewhat of a tourist destination, as people from all over
Georgia drop by to have their Christmas cards postmarked with
the words "Santa Claus, Georgia."
"We stamped 4,200 cards last year," Grisham says. "We used
Georgia Magazine - December 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - December 2019
Contents
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - Intro
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - Cover1
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - Cover2
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - Contents
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 4
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 5
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 6
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 7
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 8
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 9
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 10
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 11
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 12
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 13
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 14
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 15
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 16
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 17
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 18
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 19
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 20
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 21
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 22
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 23
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 24
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 25
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 26
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 27
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 28
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 29
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 30
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 31
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 32
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 33
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 34
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 35
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 36
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 37
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 38
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 39
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 40
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 41
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - 42
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - Cover3
Georgia Magazine - December 2019 - Cover4
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