Author and former Miller & Rhoads Snow Queen Donna Strother Deekens recounts the amazing history of the Real Santa.
After the turn of the 20th 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.
By Donna Strother Deekens
