Eighty-two years ago in the Christmas edition of the Estes Park Trail, predecessor of the Estes Park Trail-Gazette, businesses wished locals and visitors neighborly messages for happy holidays.

As these 20 messages are read, there are unique aspects of the sentiments that give a sense of the time period and a happy holiday greeting from people in Estes Park's history.

The message from Brodie Brothers, which was the grocery store that used to be located at what is now Poppy's Pizza and Grill, used the term "blest." This is an archaic version of blessed. More commonly used in older literature.

The owners of Dekker's Bakery and Coffee Shop shared, "The bells that toll on Christmas Day ring out our good wishes as you go your way."

Mr. and Mrs. John Dekker moved to Estes Park to run the bakery just a few years before this issue of the Estes Park Trail was published. The bakery, which was located on Elkhorn Avenue and known for its deli, was where a future mayor - Robert Dekker - started working when he was about ten years old. According to a 2006 interview between Estes Park Museum and Dekker, the son of the bakery owners, Dekker's Bakery was the only restaurant open in the winter at the time in Estes Park, offering one of the few places where locals could gather, converse and share stories.

The holiday message from the owners of the Rustic Theatre said, "Our best wishes to you for health, happiness and the fulfillment of your deepest desires [in] the holiday season and the New Year."

The Rustic Theatre was located at the current location of The Sugar Shack at 153 Virginia Drive. It opened in either 1937 or 1942 (historical articles have both dates), making it one of the newest businesses during the Christmas season for this issue of the Trail. The theatre stayed open until the 1950s.

And the message from the staff of the Hupp Hotel, one of the original businesses in Estes Park, continued with their long-time ties to the community: Yuletide happiness in the old merry way, is what we wish for you on Christmas Day!

The Hupp Hotel, located at the corner of Elkhorn and Moraine, opened in 1907 as the first downtown hotel in Estes Park. The building is now Estes Village.

It is fun to see these messages from the past, with sentiments from former residents, business owners and influential people from Estes Park's history.

On this Christmas more than eight decades later, please have a special holiday with family and friends, and make sure to share your own Christmas merriment with those you see.