Brockton, Massachusetts
1843 – 1909

International Santa Claus Hall of Fame Charter Member – December 2010

James Edgar was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1843 and arrived in Brockton, Massachusetts, in 1878, where he eventually opened a dry goods store on Main Street.

In 1890, inspired by Thomas Nast’s 1863 illustration of Santa Claus, Edgar put on a Santa suit and walked the floor of his department store. The response was immediate.

Within days, children were arriving by train from as far away as Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, to see him. Over time, he became a fixture on the streets of Brockton each Christmas season, Santa suit and all.

Edgar is recognized today as the world’s first known department store Santa Claus. But his legacy extends beyond that distinction.

He paid for medical care for children in need, offered jobs to struggling young people, and provided shelter for the homeless.

James Edgar died on September 20, 1909.