Wrangell Sentinel -

Red Salvation Army Christmas kettles are almost as iconic of Christmas as trees or carolers. Every winter, around shops and street corners across America, volunteers will stand in the cold with a red kettle and a bell, encouraging people to donate money to help those in need. The Christmas kettle is a very common sight, even in Wrangell. Major Michael Bates, with the Salvation Army, said that the kettles also have a very interesting history.

The Christmas Kettle was started in 1891, Bates said, by Salvation Army Captain Joseph McPhee in Oakland, California. McPhee had promised several peopl...