The story below describes how Halloween was celebrated in Minnesota a century and a half ago when it was all about tricks and no treats. In those days, Halloween was looked upon by young teenage men as a free pass night in which minor vandalism was alright – so long as you did not get caught.

It helped that people took a more tolerant attitude toward this sort of mischief on Halloween. This was partly due to the accepted holiday customs and probably, in part, due to adults remembering their own pranks at that age. Of course, there was always the problem of defining minor vandalism and differentiating between teenage pranks and criminal vandalism. Attitudes toward what constitutes acceptable misbehavior by teenagers and what is unacceptable change over time.

With Halloween it was especially difficult because it was generally understood that the rules were relaxed on this night. The result was a large gray area in which the line between acceptable and unacceptable behavior was often difficult to see.

However, by mid-twentieth century, adults began to take a firmer stand. This took the form of more vigilant policing on the one hand and stressing the treat aspect of trick or treat over the trick part. In time, the holiday's association with mischief was replaced with treats and parties.

Taken from the Book:

Minnesota pioneer sketches, from the personal recollections and observations of a pioneer resident, by Frank G. O'Brien(1843 - 1920)

Book Located in:

Library of Congress, General Collections and Rare Book and Special Collections Division (with text available) and on Google Books (no text available - click link above to find out how to obtain book)

In the early days of our city the Hallowe'en festival developed a spirit of mischief that often led to extremes which would now seem incredible. Then rights of none were deemed sacred. For a time the leaders of the fun took matters into their own hands and the whole town was at their mercy.

There was at this time in our embryo city a dare-devil element which defied law and order and gave the rather laxly constituted authorities no end of trouble and worry. Those who composed it were known as the "red-shirters," and were the sons of Down East lumberman who had cut loose from home environments, and the restrictions of an older civilization, and were reveling in the freedom of Western pioneer life.

This freedom did not mean downright viciousness, but for unbridled, don't-care-for-expense fun, especially on days and nights when fun and frolic predominated, these "red-shirters" had no equals.

It would take more space and time that are at my disposal or yours, to enumerate half the snapshot Hallowe'en incidents which now present themselves. A few will suffice as types of the whole.

An eye witness to a considerable number of these exploits, could not well avoid being a participator in them to a certain extent, but he need not be charged with being a promoter of these schemes or responsible for their results.

During the whole of the afternoon proceeding Hallowe'en, all the tins shops in town were busily engaged manufacturing horns of assorted sizes, so selected that they might give forth every especial note that savored of pandemonium. These horns came up to expectation, when fully tested later on.

Secret meetings were held in lumber offices or some convenient livery stable, to formulate plans for carrying out the program that was to be adopted, so as to preclude all possibility of a missing number.

In those days we were not metropolitan enough to have elevators, but the well-developed muscles of about two hundred sturdy, pork-and-bean fed lumbermen could elevate almost anything without the aid of modern appliances.

This was evidenced by the fact that the next morning the plank sidewalk on a business thoroughfare was found to be at least five feet from the ground and as securely braced and nailed as if it had been placed there by order of the city council, R. B. Graves, mayor, and attested by W. W. Wales, city clerk.

This "elevation" would often extend for nearly a block at different locations in front of business houses, and necessitated considerable work on the part of the proprietor and clerks to get matters in shape to receive the morning customers.

The Mississippi river, could it tell tales, might give us many reminiscences of those Hallowe'en nights when she was compelled, willy-nilly, to float to the gulf a load of hay or wood that had been left on the banks over night by some unsuspecting farmer who had not been successful in making a trade the previous day, and had left it sufficiently out of the road not to impede travel.

But while he was dreaming sweet dreams in a comfortable bed at the "Union House," and his horses were munching from their mangers in the boarding stable not far away, the sweet and fragrant "timothy" that had been doled out to them, brains and hands had been at work upsetting not only his plans but his load as well. But no little friendly sprite had whispered to him of the impending calamity. The coming of daylight found him minus the proceeds of the farm which he had thought available as exchange for molasses, sugar, tea, coffee, calico, cough mixture or spavin liniment.

Instead of having means to his credit, he must place himself on the debit side, and get help to rescue the nearly submerged wagon and place it once more on terra firma, there to find out, by careful examination, what was missing in the way of nuts and bolts, and then secure the services of the wagon maker and blacksmith to make needed repairs before taking his homeward trip, a wiser, if not a better man.

This unsophisticated farmer was not the only one to be disturbed in his mind when he awakened and started on a tour of inspection, jus as the innocent orb of day was climbing the hills, and smiling Luna was fading from sight. She had been a silent witness of the mischief and did not propose to remain and be compelled to give testimony that should incriminate the boys who were such friends of hers.

When the physician visited his office at 9 A. M., he found upon reading the sign suspended over his door, that his name, instead of appearing with "M. D." attached, indicated that he was an "Undertaker and Practical Embalmer;" the "barber" was representing himself as a "Fashionable Milliner," and the "milliner" as a "Tonsorial Artist;" the "Bible Depository" was, for the time being, occupying quarters in a prominent saloon, while the saloon had changed its base of operations to that of the "Bible Depository," an even exchanged being considered no robbery The "banker" had exchanged his legend of "Notes and Discounts" for that of "Plow Manufacturer," a full-grown breaking-plow being in evidence at the top of the building to attest the reality of this change.

It was no uncommon thing to see "beautiful gates ajar" and "up a tree," while many staid and solid accessories to the house or out-buildings were found to have fallen down as though from a "spree," or to have gone a-journeying to parts unknown.

Many more examples could be cited, but enough have been given to let this "circumspect present" into the undignified doings of the past.

The town marshal, assisted by swornin deputies, was successful in capturing a few of those who had overstepped the "limit," superinduced by numerous "jags" from a beverage that would not be sanctioned by the Maine liquor law. These were brought before the "squire" in the justice court, there to answer for their misdemeanors, and if found guilty to be escorted to the city calaboose to serve out a week's sentence. It was a rare thing, however, to find them within the enclosure the following morning, as their numerous friends were ever ready to unloose the shackles and set open the doors, that the imprisoned might once again breathe the air of freedom. Prison walls had no great terrors for the Hallowe'en wrong-doer, as he well knew that a little effort on his own part from the inside, and considerable more from his friends on the outside, would soon gain for him that "bliss for which he sighed."

History repeats itself year after year, wherever these old-time customs are observed; but in this respect operations have become considerably modified since the gentler influences of the staid communities of the East have intermingled with the crude and lawless ones of the "wild and wooly West." These tendencies have become milder in character, so much so, that the observers of Hallowe'en are now satisfied with out-of-door Jack-o'-lantern parades, to the accompaniment of ear-splitting and discordant music, while within doors they engage in the mirth-provoking games that were inaugurated in the days of "Auld Lang Syne."