History of the Red Kettle
Through the years, it has become a true Christmas icon – the candy apple red kettles and the sound of a bell ringing outside of stores throughout cities nationwide. To many, it's not Christmas without experiencing this familiar sight. But did you know that the red kettle has a long, rich history?
The kettle's career as a fundraiser began in 1891 when Captain Joseph McFee resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner to the poor of San Francisco. When the question of how to pay for the food arose, a memory flashed before the Captain's eyes.
Once a sailor in Liverpool, England, the Captain remembered a large pot displayed on the Stage Landing, called "Simpson's Pot." Passersby tossed charitable donations into the pot. The Captain received permission from city authorities to place a crab pot and tripod at the Oakland ferry landing at the foot of San Francisco's Market Place. The kettle – and McFee's request to "Keep the Pot Boiling!" – drew a lot of attention from ferry passengers. So began a tradition that spread throughout the United States, then the world.
By 1895, thirty Salvation Army Corps on the West Coast used the kettle. Two young Salvation Army officers, William A. McIntyre and N.J. Lewis, took the idea with them to the East Coast. In 1897, McIntyre based his Christmas plans for Boston around the kettle. Other Army officers did not want to participate for fear of "making spectacles of themselves." So McIntyre, his wife and sister set up three kettles in the heart of the city. That year, the kettle effort in Boston and other locations nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy.
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In 1898, The New York World hailed The Salvation Army kettles as "the newest and most novel device for collecting money." In 1901, kettle contributions in New York City provided funds for the first mammoth sit-down dinner in Madison Square Garden, a custom that continued for many years. Today, families are often given grocery checks or food baskets so they can prepare dinners at home. The homeless and poor are still invited to share holiday dinners and festivities at hundreds of Salvation Army centers.
Kettles now are used around the world. Contributions to the kettles enable The Salvation Army to bring the spirit of Christmas to the aged and lonely, ill, poor and disadvantaged, inmates of jails and other institutions -- people otherwise often forgotten.
Kettles have changed since that crab pot in San Francisco. But the message -- "Doing the Most Good" -- still supports this resilient program across Texas and throughout the United States.
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