Going back as far as the late 1800s, a special day for any suburban family came when they took their annual Christmas trip to Chicago. They were not visiting relatives, but seeing the sights of the big city, especially on State Street. Always interesting were the displays in the show windows and the interiors of the many big department stores.

Though decades have passed, some families still make a special visit to Chicago, to see the sights of Christmas. Sadly, one by one, nearly all the big stores along State Street, once so famous for their Christmastime decorations, have vanished into oblivion.

Gone from recent memory are Goldblatt’s, Wieboldt’s, Montgomery Wards, and even Woolworth’s. Leaving soon is Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company. The venerable name of Marshall Field’s hangs on by an historical thread, though it is more Macy’s, now. Curiously, though Sears left back in late 1983, it returned in 2001 to set up business in the old Boston Store building, which had been located there at the northwest corner of State and Madison streets since the late 1800s.

Wouldn’t you like to be able to go back and see those stores, in their heyday, just one last time? Let’s pick a date-no, maybe two, and take a trip downtown, to see the Christmas sights of State Street once more. Of course, we’ll go to Marshall Field’s-we couldn’t miss going there! The late 1970s were an interesting time on State Street. All the big stores were still in business. Yes, let’s go then.

Now, how to get there. Well, if you live locally, say in Brookfield or Riverside, the best way is to take the train. Sure, you could drive-if you don’t mind all the traffic, and paying fees to the Chicago parking garages. No, the train it is.

Saturdays are best for going.

You get all the hustle and bustle of the shoppers, creating an energy of excitement. Checking out my green fold-out Burlington Northern train timetable for Sept. 4, 1977, we could catch a morning train for Chicago from Brookfield at 10:46. From Riverside, the time would be 10:49. It’ll cost us a hefty $1.15 for a one-way trip, but hey! Christmas comes but once a year!

So it’s Saturday, Dec. 23, 1978. Yes, funny isn’t it, how Dec. 23 also comes on Saturday in 2006. There are now no such things as ATMs, so I hope you brought along some money or a credit card. There are no worries about cholesterol or saturated fat, and Jimmy Carter is our president. Personal computers are bulky and have little memory. Cell phones? Sorry, find a pay phone. The big concern now is inflation. But Christmas is coming, so cast your cares away.

At our respective stations, we have boarded our passenger car, pulled by a green locomotive. Our ride is a bit rocky and creaky, but that’s because at this time, the Burlington is short of money to repair and replace its passenger cars.

After a short 30-minute ride, we have arrived at the Union Station, and are walking east on Adams. There’s the brand-new Sears Tower, only opened six short years ago. The old Loop elevated, opened in 1897, is still up, although some are calling for its destruction and replacement by busses. Thank goodness that never happened!

Ah, here’s State Street. On our left is the 11-story-high Montgomery Wards, with its toy department, crowded with children asking parents for toys, located in the basement. Say, did you know that in 1939, Robert L. May, working for Wards, wrote up a storybook about Rollo the Reindeer, who had shiny eyes? This book was given free to 2.4 million children, and has been much beloved ever since-after May changed the deer’s name to Rudolph, and gave him a red nose, instead.

Though at first we turn north, towards Marshall Field’s, behind us is Woolworth’s, Goldblatt’s and Sears. Well, we’ll cross the street and go south just enough to get to Woolworth’s. Ah, the candy department! Umm, can you hear and smell that popcorn freshly popping? Let’s see what’s for sale. Scales are ready to weigh chocolate chunks, fruit-filled nougat, bridge mix, a licorice assortment, chocolate-covered raisins, marzipan, spice drops, jelly beans and much, much more.

Munching some hot popcorn, we leave Woolworth’s and go north, passing the Palmer House, on our right, and the Ferris Wheel Restaurant on our left. The Ferris Wheel, a cozy, thin little eatery at 120 S. State St., also has a soda fountain, and I personally recommend the chopped beef dinner, deliciously smothered in shredded onions. You also get your choice of a soup and a potato, and a really good bottomless cup of coffee-with real cream in little metal pitchers. Dessert is included: Jell-O, with a dollop of whipped cream. Including tip, the whole, filling meal won’t set you back more than $6. We really must come back here someday, when we have more time.

We’re at Carson’s now, and across the street, there’s Wieboldt’s on the northeast corner. In 1937, Wieboldt’s, though not yet on State Street, had for their Christmas mascot The Cinnamon Bear, and his adventures played on the radio between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Carson’s Santa Claus is busy listening to children’s wishes on the second floor, and we could stop in and look at the book department in the basement, but if we stop everywhere, we’ll never get to Field’s. Besides, Kroch’s and Brentano’s has more books, anyway. However, let’s stop in at the candy department on Carson’s first floor to get some tasty chunks of white chocolate.

Say, did you notice that there are no cars on State Street? This is all part of a new plan where only CTA busses and emergency vehicles are allowed. But sometimes a car or two wanders onto the street, by mistake. Shoppers can jaywalk across the street with relative safety. If you’re getting tired, we can stop for a minute or two and rest on the edges of the tree-and-flower planters up and down the street. Maybe you’d like to look at some of the modern art pieces set up here and there. No? Well then, onto Field’s.

Across the street from Field’s is the State-Lake Theater, still showing movies on what will soon be the infamous, long-unbuilt-upon Block 37. If we get separated, we’ll meet under Marshall Field’s famous clock, at the corner of Randolph and State. A clock has been operating on this site since Nov. 26, 1897. Let me press the button on my new Phasar 2000 LED watch, to see the red digits of the time flash, then disappear. Yes, the time on Field’s clock is correct, too.

Here we are! Into the store we go! Don’t worry, we’ll have a look at the front window displays when we come out again. All right, all right, we’ll go to the toy department, on the fourth floor. Step carefully onto the escalator.

Wow! So many toys! Whoa! There must be a thousand dolls here! And look at all the toy cars and trucks! How much is that big yellow Tonka dump truck? $11.90? Wrap it up. OK, OK. We’ll take that pretty, blue-eyed blond Madame Alexander Goldilocks doll, too, at $19.95. That set of metal roller skates, with easy-on rubber toe clamps are a bargain at $11.50. What? You want that set of pogo sticks, at $20? Better ask Santa for that.

Great! Here are the new space toys! Those Battlestar Galactica figures look pretty good, and that Viper Launcher looks cool. Hey, that Cylon Raider Interceptor really shoots two red plastic missiles! Cool! And that four-level Star Wars plastic Death Star is only $22.50!

Now to the electronic toys. Here’s Simon, the game that you press colors in the right sequence to win at. Hmm, it uses one 9-volt and two D batteries. We better remember to buy some, later. Well, well! Here’s a Speak ‘N’ Spell! Just like E.T. uses, I mean, will use in a few years or so. That handheld Electronic Quarterback game with sound effects looks interesting, but it’s $25.

Quick! Let’s get out of the Toy Department before I spend any more money. OK, we’ll visit Santa at the Cozy Cloud Cottage first. Some 71 years ago, in 1907, Santa first began to visit Field’s, but the Cozy Cloud Cottage didn’t come until years later, in 1946. Back then it was created for Field’s legendary sprite, Uncle Mistletoe, and his spritely wife, Aunt Holly, who came to the cottage in 1948 to reign with him. After many years, Santa Claus became the resident of the cottage.

OK, to the gourmet section, now, in the basement. Seems a funny place for a Gourmet Department, but there it is, and where the Starbucks will be someday is now the main candy section. We’ll zip ahead a year, to Dec. 23, 1979.

The store’s famous Frango mints are still being made in their own candy kitchens on the 13th floor. A mouth-watering 10 ounce Foot of Frangos is only $5. Or should we throw caution (and money) to the winds and get a 25-pound box of Frangos for $150?

Then we could wash it down with a cup of one of Marshall Field’s own Imported Teas. The English Breakfast kind is especially good. If you really want something unusual, try the Chinese Tea Brick. Just break off a piece of the brick, and gently crush it to use it as loose tea. Only $12.95 for 2 pounds, 8 ounces.

For the sophisticated, Field’s has its own special line of wines, including a California Zinfandel with a unique “bramble” flavor. For the less sophisticated, there is available a Superman nutcracker, with a half pound of assorted nuts to crack. He comes packaged in his own telephone booth box.

I see there’s too long a line at the Walnut Room right now. Maybe we can eat at the Ferris Wheel in a little while. But at least we can look at the Great Tree, all decorated. And here’s the beautiful and famous Louis Tiffany dome, consisting of 680,000 pieces of iridescent glass. It cost $724,000, back in 1907, to build.

Back on the ground floor in the main aisle, I see the theme this year for the overhead displays is “Christmases Remembered,” covering the periods from Youth to Old Age. Very nicely done. Now up the escalator to the second floor, where we are surrounded by racks and racks of pricey women’s clothes.

Say, my feet are beat, and I’m tired of carrying all these packages. This yellow Tonka dump truck is digging into my arm! We’ve seen so much, haven’t we? Let’s go down these white marble stair steps, back to the first floor, and sit on the bottom steps for awhile. Uh, oh, we shouldn’t have done that. Macy’s red color is everywhere. We’re back in 2006. And we never got to see the 1979 Field’s window displays. Well, we’ll try again next week, and take advantage of the After Christmas sales.

Hungry? Well, after we look at the Macy’s current Mary Poppins windows-wow, she looks like a thin female version of Jay Leno in that one-we’ll see if the Walnut Room is uncrowded enough to take us. No, the Ferris Wheel Restaurant is long gone. Now a Subway sandwich shop is there, instead.

And after we’ve eaten, we’ll look around some more, then we’re homeward bound, again by the Burlington. Only now, in 2006, the fare is $3.05 one way; over twice the $1.15 fare of 1978. Well, at least we got all our Christmas shopping done-in 1978 and 1979. So ends another special Christmastime trip to State Street, a great street in any era.