Delivering Holiday Cheer By The Truckload
December 25, 2025
Trish Griswold
NORTH HAVERHILL - For the Lackie family of North Haverhill, NH, delivering goodwill and holiday cheer is a tradition that spans many generations. “It's just what we do,” remarks David “Peanut” Lackie, a retired truck driver who has been transporting Christmas trees to the area for decades.
According to Peanut, he took over the family business in 1989 when his father, Leslie Lackie, passed away. For many years, Leslie transported cargo, including Christmas trees from as far away as Canada and as close by as northern New Hampshire. “Mountain Star Tree Farm in Swiftwater (formerly known as the Olsen Tree Farm) - that’s where Dad got started,” Peanut recalls. “He hauled trees for 15 years before I took over. Actually, he went to Wisconsin and got the first tree baler that was in this area.”
In the early 1990s, Peanut’s brother, Norman “Smiley” Lackie, started a small tree stand at the Lackie homestead on the corner of Dartmouth College Highway and Route 116. Peanut’s daughters, Amy (Lackie) Crocker and Jennifer (Lackie) Barkley, kept the tree stand going from 1994 to 1996 before passing it along to the Woodsville High School (WHS) ensemble band as a fundraiser for their trip to Annapolis, MD, to participate in a regional competition. Over the years, many other school groups and local non-profit organizations have been recipients of the fundraiser, including the WHS Class of 2000, the North Haverhill Fire Department, the Haverhill Area Youth DC Trip, the WHS Class of 2023, and the WHS Class of 2026. All of the aforementioned school-related groups, Peanut says, have included a member of the Lackie family.
“We’ve never made a dime on the trees. I buy them, bring them down, and sell them to whatever group at the same price I bought them for. We sell the trees at cost and never charge a penny to truck them.”
The Lackies also donate trucking and provide trees at cost for holiday decorating efforts in North Haverhill and Woodsville, NH, and in Wells River, VT, spreading holiday cheer on both sides of the Connecticut River. “We’ve always donated our time and trucking, and we’re happy to do it,” comments Peanut’s wife, Leslie (Pierson) Lackie, who has supported her husband in continuing both the family business and the tree stand.
The most recent recipient of the tree stand fundraiser is the WHS Class of 2026. “There are really no words that can express how appreciative our class is for the Lackies/Crockers. For the past three years, our success has been rooted from their efforts, and we couldn’t be more grateful for them,” remarks Class President Makayla Walker. “They’ve given us the Christmas tree and craft fair fundraisers that have played a significant role in making prom and our class trip possible, but it has also given us the opportunity to give back to those who have given so much to us.”
“Apart from the financial opportunities,” Makayla continues, “their generosity has brought our class together; freshman year, when we didn’t have these fundraisers, fundraising participation was absent. Now, I’d say close to 75% or more are participating. It’s obvious how committed they are to our class, and we are forever indebted to the Lackies for guiding us, supporting us, and ultimately handing us success; it’s going to be difficult figuring out how to pay them back.”
Managing the Christmas tree stand, which was relocated in 2023 to the parking area at Augie’s Rest Stop is more labor intensive than one might think. “It’s a lot of work,” says Amy, who, together with her husband, Todd Crocker, took over Peanut’s trucking company in June of 2022 and has continued the Lackie family’s time-honored traditions. “You have to set up the racks, hang the lights, bring the trees into town, unload them, set them up on the racks, cut the strings, and price them.”
Equally time-consuming is maintaining the trees after every snowstorm. “You have to shake them off every time it snows. Some years when it was down to Mother’s, we had some serious snow,” Peanut recalls. “In fact, one year we got rain, and the trees froze so we had to take some up to the fire station, thaw them out, and bring them back down. It can be a challenge.”
Except on the weekends, the tree stand is set up to use the honor system, which “works for the most part,” Amy says. “Most people are honest, and it all evens out. Some people put extra in, and some don’t. People’s generosity covers what doesn’t get paid for.”
In fact, some members of the community donate faithfully every year, including Harley Vance of Groton, VT, who purchases two trees, one for himself and one for his mother, Betty Oakes, also of Groton. “We like to support local youth organizations. Plus, they have a wide selection, the trees are well-trimmed, and the prices are more than reasonable.”
When asked about the future of the tree stand, Leslie explains that, in June, their granddaughter, Morgan, a member of the WHS Class of 2026 and this year’s recipient of the tree stand fundraiser, will graduate from high school. The Lackie family will need to decide which school group or community organization will inherit the tree stand project next. “We’d like it to continue to go towards fundraising, a scholarship, or benefit the community in some way. That is what it’s all about. The kids and the community.”
According to Peanut, he took over the family business in 1989 when his father, Leslie Lackie, passed away. For many years, Leslie transported cargo, including Christmas trees from as far away as Canada and as close by as northern New Hampshire. “Mountain Star Tree Farm in Swiftwater (formerly known as the Olsen Tree Farm) - that’s where Dad got started,” Peanut recalls. “He hauled trees for 15 years before I took over. Actually, he went to Wisconsin and got the first tree baler that was in this area.”
In the early 1990s, Peanut’s brother, Norman “Smiley” Lackie, started a small tree stand at the Lackie homestead on the corner of Dartmouth College Highway and Route 116. Peanut’s daughters, Amy (Lackie) Crocker and Jennifer (Lackie) Barkley, kept the tree stand going from 1994 to 1996 before passing it along to the Woodsville High School (WHS) ensemble band as a fundraiser for their trip to Annapolis, MD, to participate in a regional competition. Over the years, many other school groups and local non-profit organizations have been recipients of the fundraiser, including the WHS Class of 2000, the North Haverhill Fire Department, the Haverhill Area Youth DC Trip, the WHS Class of 2023, and the WHS Class of 2026. All of the aforementioned school-related groups, Peanut says, have included a member of the Lackie family.
“We’ve never made a dime on the trees. I buy them, bring them down, and sell them to whatever group at the same price I bought them for. We sell the trees at cost and never charge a penny to truck them.”
The Lackies also donate trucking and provide trees at cost for holiday decorating efforts in North Haverhill and Woodsville, NH, and in Wells River, VT, spreading holiday cheer on both sides of the Connecticut River. “We’ve always donated our time and trucking, and we’re happy to do it,” comments Peanut’s wife, Leslie (Pierson) Lackie, who has supported her husband in continuing both the family business and the tree stand.
The most recent recipient of the tree stand fundraiser is the WHS Class of 2026. “There are really no words that can express how appreciative our class is for the Lackies/Crockers. For the past three years, our success has been rooted from their efforts, and we couldn’t be more grateful for them,” remarks Class President Makayla Walker. “They’ve given us the Christmas tree and craft fair fundraisers that have played a significant role in making prom and our class trip possible, but it has also given us the opportunity to give back to those who have given so much to us.”
“Apart from the financial opportunities,” Makayla continues, “their generosity has brought our class together; freshman year, when we didn’t have these fundraisers, fundraising participation was absent. Now, I’d say close to 75% or more are participating. It’s obvious how committed they are to our class, and we are forever indebted to the Lackies for guiding us, supporting us, and ultimately handing us success; it’s going to be difficult figuring out how to pay them back.”
Managing the Christmas tree stand, which was relocated in 2023 to the parking area at Augie’s Rest Stop is more labor intensive than one might think. “It’s a lot of work,” says Amy, who, together with her husband, Todd Crocker, took over Peanut’s trucking company in June of 2022 and has continued the Lackie family’s time-honored traditions. “You have to set up the racks, hang the lights, bring the trees into town, unload them, set them up on the racks, cut the strings, and price them.”
Equally time-consuming is maintaining the trees after every snowstorm. “You have to shake them off every time it snows. Some years when it was down to Mother’s, we had some serious snow,” Peanut recalls. “In fact, one year we got rain, and the trees froze so we had to take some up to the fire station, thaw them out, and bring them back down. It can be a challenge.”
Except on the weekends, the tree stand is set up to use the honor system, which “works for the most part,” Amy says. “Most people are honest, and it all evens out. Some people put extra in, and some don’t. People’s generosity covers what doesn’t get paid for.”
In fact, some members of the community donate faithfully every year, including Harley Vance of Groton, VT, who purchases two trees, one for himself and one for his mother, Betty Oakes, also of Groton. “We like to support local youth organizations. Plus, they have a wide selection, the trees are well-trimmed, and the prices are more than reasonable.”
When asked about the future of the tree stand, Leslie explains that, in June, their granddaughter, Morgan, a member of the WHS Class of 2026 and this year’s recipient of the tree stand fundraiser, will graduate from high school. The Lackie family will need to decide which school group or community organization will inherit the tree stand project next. “We’d like it to continue to go towards fundraising, a scholarship, or benefit the community in some way. That is what it’s all about. The kids and the community.”
The Lackies have been delivering Christmas trees to the North Haverhill area for decades. They donate the trucking fees and provide the trees at cost to a local school group or organization for fundraising purposes. Pictured (L-R) are David “Peanut” Lackie, Leslie Lackie, Amy Crocker, and Todd Crocker.
The Lackie Family tree stand located at Augie’s Rest Stop just south of Hatchland Dairy in North Haverhill provides a wide selection of balsam fir at an affordable price.
Christmas trees nestled in whiskey barrels outside Robert Lawrence Salon & Spa in Woodsville provide a festive glow during the holiday season. The Lackie Family provides more than 100 trees at cost to businesses in Woodsville and North Haverhill, NH, and Wells River, VT.
Members of the Woodsville High School Class of 2026 helped unload, set up, and tag trees on opening weekend of tree season. Pictured (L-R) are: Makayla Walker, Katie Houston, Ryan Walker, Gabe Roy, Michel Plachetzki, Morgan Crocker, Jillian Roy, Cowan Kimball, and Dylan Marshall.
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