Christian Peterson
Reporter@riverbendnews.org
Early in the month of December, the Suwannee County Historical Commission and Museum received a special donation from Marilyn Clark Daughtry. Daughtry donated a statue of Santa Clause riding a bicycle in memory of her husband Vernon Daughtry Jr. When the Gibbs Department Store, run by the Gibbs Company, was still active in Suwannee County, the statue would appear in the window annually around Christmas time. It overlooked West Howard Street, observing all the good boys and girls, as well as the naughty ones. The statue sat in the window yearly from at least 1952 until the store was sold in 1978, making it over 70 years old.
When the store closed down, Vernon was working at Fleet’s Department Store across the street from Gibbs Department Store. He heard that statue was for sale and mentioned it to his wife. She took advantage of the opportunity and purchased the statue as a gift for her husband to keep a fond childhood memory alive. The Facebook post made by the Suwannee County Historical Commission announcing the statue’s arrival to the Historical Commission was met with responses from individuals with memories of the Santa being on display. To learn more about Suwannee County history, visit the Suwannee County Historical Commission and Museum at 208 Ohio Ave. N, in Live Oak, or visit their website at suwanneehistory.com.