The Christmas season is a time for traditions and, in Richmond, one particular custom reigned supreme: a family outing to Miller & Rhoads department store. A Christmas outing to Miller & Rhoads department store revealed thousands of smiling faces waiting to enter the kingdom of Santaland- an enchanted world marked by glittering snow and intricate train displays. From visits to area hospitals to a young man who demanded only a box of raisins, former Snow Queen Donna Strother Deekens shares her touching and humorous holiday memories from her twenty years in the gown. Kids from one to ninety-two will enjoy reminiscing with characters like the elves, Bruce the Spruce and, of course, Miller & Rhoads' legendary real Santa. Discover behind-the-scenes drama and learn firsthand what it was like to partake in this unforgettable event.

After the turn of the twentieth century, young Bill Strother left the tobacco farms of North Carolina to make a living climbing buildings. He became known as the "Human Spider," scaling countless structures across the nation. Yet this was just a prelude to his true calling as the Santa Claus at Richmond's famed Miller & Rhoads department store. As department stores everywhere reached their golden age, Strother became one of the most beloved and sought-after Santas in the nation. Author and former Miller & Rhoads Snow Queen Donna Strother Deekens recounts the amazing history of the Real Santa.

Under the Clock documents the fascinating historical chain of department stores Miller & Rhoads through its many transformations. Under the Clock tells the story of Miller & Rhoads, from its incarnation as a little dry goods store in 1885 through more than a century as a beloved Richmond landmark. Earle Dunford, longtime city editor for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and George Bryson, a Miller & Rhoads veteran for thirty-nine years, usher us behind the scenes at the famous department store, sharing anecdotes they have collected from the many devoted shoppers and loyal employees who remember the good old days at Miller & Rhoads. Meet them "under the clock" to read about the famous Tea Room, Book and Author Dinners, fashion shows, Sara Sue hats, Christmastime with Santa Claus and countless other memories of a bygone era in shopping.

Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt takes readers along on her obsessive quest to find the true story of her father's family and their department store Thalhimers. Riveting and poignant, this multigenerational narrative weaves together history, biography, and memoir into an unforgettable portrait of an ambitious American retail family.

When Santa and his helpers the Snow Queen and the Mischievous Little Elf are blown topsy-turvy in a Virginia blizzard, they land on the roof of Richmond's Miller & Rhoads. Surprised to discover such a grand store with no decorations for Christmas, the friends try to solve the mystery. Join Santa and his team as they search the Tea Room, a fantastic toy department and the Virginia Pantry for signs of the Christmas spirit. Santa soon finds that at Miller & Rhoads, friendship and a little magic bring Santaland to life if only you believe.

This new edition of Arnold Rhodes's The Mighty Acts of God is an essential tool for learning more about the Bible. The original volume, which has been well-loved as a guide for Bible study, has been carefully revised by W. Eugene March to incorporate the most up-to-date historical and theological research. From the beginnings of creation to final consummation and hope, readers will find the same easily readable quality as in the first edition along with helpful questions for either group or individual study.

Decorated throughout with silver and gold foil highlights, this illustrated story of the first Christmas is retold in rhyme for the very youngest of children.