It was 1931, Depression times. Construction of Rockefeller Center was in full swing. What better way to bring cheer to New Yorkers and to the construction workers themselves than to put a Christmas tree right in the middle of the construction site.
So, the workers got together and pooled their money to buy a Christmas tree. Unlike the current Norway spruce tree which rises to about 82 feet, the first tree was only 20 feet and was a balsam fir.
The tree was placed in the construction pit by Italian-American workers. For the adornments, families of the workers made paper garlands and added cranberry strings, plus a few tin cans.
The tree was the spot where the workers would line up to receive their paychecks.
Two years later, in 1933, a 50-foot tall tree was placed there and marked the beginning of the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition.