SANTA CLAUS, Ind. (WEHT) — In Spencer County, the United States Postal Service delivered its billionth piece of mail for the holiday season. The package, containing a special item for Santa, was delivered to the Santa Claus Museum’s Chief Elf Pat Koch.
Writing letters to Santa is a tradition as old as time. The oldest known letter in the city dates back to 1930. Koch read that letter from a 9-year-old named Catherine: “…and for Rose? gloves for a 12-year-old, because we are poor and have no money for candy or toys. Please come to our house as I will be waiting for you. Jimmy ain’t so good, so if you want you could leave him out,” says Koch.
At 93-years-old Koch’s family has been involved with the “Letters to Santa” program for generations. Her dedication to keeping the Christmas spirit alive began at 12-years-old.
“…when it became more important to ride coasters and rides and do those sorts of things…I was part of the ownership. I said I’d like to keep that post office as a historical building. It’s from 1856,” says Koch.
Over 20,000 letters each year go through the museum’s post office, and she makes sure each one gets a response. Some of the letters are written right in the front room before being stuffed into Santa’s slot.