It all started in 1915 with a combination of bad weather and a community spirited City Light Commissioner. Local residents wanted to impress the state convention of the Grand Army of the Republic, so, City Light Commissioner J. W. Haws stretched strings of lights from the Railroad Depot to the town square. Three days of freezing rain made it impossible to use the uninsulated strings of lights.

At Christmas time the light commissioner decided to surprise the towns-people. Working alone he colored the lights and strung them on the Courthouse dome. He turned them on Christmas Eve.

For years Mr. Haws hand-dipped the bulbs and arranged Christmas designs on the dome of the Courthouse. Because of his efforts, Minden in known as "The Christmas City."