For many years of its century-plus existence, the Albert Lea Tribune did not have a Sunday paper. The newspaper has always been printed and distributed six days a week. However, the sixth issue came on Saturdays for many years.

Thus, on Saturday, Dec. 9, 1916, the Tribune’s readers received a special visual treat. This was an issue with a colorful drawing of Santa Claus carrying his huge bag filled with toys about to enter a rooftop chimney. This could have been the Tribune’s first full-color page, which was actually printed elsewhere and sent to Albert Lea.

What was issued that particular Saturday was a special Christmas edition with three sections.

The first section consisted of four pages, including the full-color cover page.

Advertisers in this first section were Wiele’s Drug Store, the Albert Lea State Bank, Western Grocer Co. (featuring their Chocolate Cream Coffee), Albert Lea Hardware Co., Citizens National Bank, National Woolen Mills, Albert Lea Meat Market (H. P. Christensen, Prop., 115 S. Broadway Ave.), and Lueck’s Drug Store.

Several winter sports items were listed in the Albert Lea Hardware Co. ad. Sleds were priced from a dollar to $4, ice skates cost 65 cents to $3.50 a pair, hockey sticks were available for a quarter, and skis ranged in price from 65 cents to $5.

The 1916 pre-Christmas ad for Lueck’s Drug Store said, &uot;We invite you to call at our store (228 S. Broadway Ave.), where individual Holiday Gifts await your inspection, consisting of a large assortment of White Ivory, Leather Goods, Ladies’ and Gents’ Purses, Ansco Cameras (priced from $2 to $55), Crane’s Finest Stationery, Japanese and Sweet Grass Baskets, Moore’s Non-Leakable and Waterman Fountain Pens, very choice Box Candy, Thermos Bottles, Smokers’ Supplies, Pennants, Pillows, Brass Novelties, a very large line of Books, the latest popular Fiction, Christmas Boxes of all Sizes, Christmas Seals and Tags.&uot;

The second section of this Saturday edition featured current local, state and national news, plus an update on World War I events in Europe. (The U.S. was to become an active part of this war in April 1917.)

Many of the articles and illustrations in this special Christmas edition were based on seasonal customs, food, and themes. As an added bonus, there were updated reports about the Albert Lea Public Schools, Luther Academy, the areas churches, local banks, and the then-very-important dairy industry.

One of the articles in this edition was based on a new industry being organized in Albert Lea that year. This was what’s now Enderes Tool Co.

Just prior to 1916, Ernst Enderes was a German immigrant who started a blacksmith shop in Littleport, Iowa, (This tiny town is located somewhat between Elkader and Guttenberg in Clayton County.) Enderes started to make tools and one of his area dealers was the Albert Lea Machinery Co. And it was this firm which persuaded the Iowa blacksmith and toolmaker to expand, relocate, and build a new factory in Albert Lea.

Foht’s, &uot;The Store for Thrifty People,&uot; at 114 E. Clark St., next to the Hotel Freeborn, advertised it was &uot;A Children’s Fairyland.&uot; This store had toys, dolls, games and books priced from a nickel to $10. These potential presents included Boogey Bears and Teddy Bears, toys made of wood, tin and iron, magic lanterns, blocks, puzzles, balls, and the very popular Erector structural building toys.

What was likely the most unusual ad in this edition was sponsored by The Mills of Albert Lea. It was for S.P.U.G. Those initials were for the Society for the Prevention of Useless Giving. The message with this ad said, &uot;Useless giving at Christmas is one of the greatest sources of waste in this great land of ours. Let us make a practical suggestion. Give a sack of Albert Lea Flour and you will be giving doubly, for you will be giving a present of real worth to a friend and also giving a big boost to Albert Lea, for both the flour and your money will stay in Albert Lea.&uot;

An editorial in this issue commented: &uot;The merchants of Albert Lea have their shelves filled with pretty goods of the latest styles and creations. There is absolutely no need for a shopper to go to the twin Cities this year or any year for their Christmas trading. The buyers of Albert Lea are as alert for the new things coming on the market as any of the buyers from larger cities. Therefore new styles of the latest patterns are to be found in Albert Lea at as an early a date as in any of the big city stores.&uot;